Transporters pan Cato Ridge logistics hub

Transnet Port
Terminals’ (TPT)
plan to create a
logistics hub in Cato
Ridge would only exacerbate
congestion and escalate
costs for businesses, Durban
transporters have warned as
trucks continue to face long
queues at Durban port.
Transporter and member of
the Durban Harbour Carriers’
Association, Kevin Martin,
said congestion had persisted
at the port’s container
terminal during December
and over the New Year due to
labour shortages and a lack
of equipment maintenance.
He said transporters had
met with TPT management
recently to discuss the
ongoing problem.
“They admitted they had a
problem and have promised
we won’t have it over Easter.
In the last couple of weeks
there have been delays in
the terminal. We told them
they have to fix it. We want a
contingency plan.”
Martin said the container
terminal moved on average
2000-2500 containers per day
which was still “very far from a
reasonable performance”.
He has called for TPT
to reintroduce its truck
appointment system which he
said had reduced congestion
before it was scrapped four
months ago.
Several local transporters
who asked not to be named
said bribes to jump the queue
were making it difficult for
professional companies to
operate at the terminal and
up to 14-hour queues at Pier 1
frustrated their clients.
“Companies suffered a
lot last year due to overtime
costs – it’s surprising we
haven’t closed our doors yet,” a
transporter said.
“And the next major
problem is the fatigue of
drivers who go in at 3pm
and come out at 6am in the
morning. It’s
terribly tiring
for them, the
conditions are
very bad,” he
said.
Martin said
bribery had
been reported
repeatedly to
TPT over the
past five to ten
years.
“We have
shown them
how to identify
the crooks by using their
own computer turnaround
times. If the average time is
four to six hours and certain
transporters are turning
around consistently in one
to two hours for no logical
reason, senior management
must
investigate,”
Martin said.
He added
that TPT’s
plan to create
a logistics
hub 50km
from the
port at Cato
Ridge where
it planned to
move 500 000
containers a
year, or 1369
containers
a day, by rail from the port
would exacerbate congestion
and escalate costs.
“Less than 1% of the
national long-distance
fleet has a skeletal trailer
specifically designed to
carry containers and there
are swings in the amount of
containers and breakbulk
cargo moving between
Durban and Johannesburg.
There is no point doing it by
truck and rail. It will be less
competitive and we will shed
employment,” he said.
Trucks already had to do
the 50km run to the harbour
in most cases which made
the plan to move containers
by rail to Cato Ridge for
collection a duplication of
costs, he said, adding that
the rail facility, designed to
move 1200 containers in 24
hours, had only moved on
average between 500 and 900
containers in 24 hours over
the past decade.
INSERT AND CAPTION
We have shown
TPT how to identify
the crooks by using
their own computer
turnaround times.
– Kevin Martin