DURBAN CONTAINER
truckers have hit out at an
anomaly in the automated
gate system (autogate)
being introduced at Transnet
port terminals at the SA
ports.
They do not object
to the concept – which
is designed to register all
container movement and
vehicle data in an electronic
data interchange format,
and create a paperless
environment for container
movement in-and-out of
the port terminals. Indeed
they support the costefficiency
benefits that will
stem from the use of the
new system.
But, said Andrew
Robinson of Durban-based
attorneys, Deneys Reitz, and
legal adviser to the Durban
harbour carriers’ association
(DHCA), a division of the
SA Association of Freight
Forwarders (Saaff), one part
of the system demands
that truck drivers key in
the necessary data – a
task which is beyond their
skills levels, and could incur
costly liability for trucking
companies if an error is
made.
“This new system,” he
told FTW, “will require
drivers to punch in a
booking reference number,
the weight of the container
and the container seal
number on entering the
terminal, when delivering
export containers which
have not been pre-advised.”
That could lead to
expensive mistakes.
“We understand that
the entering of this booking
reference number will cause
the Transet Port Terminals
(TPT) system to instruct
drivers to deliver a container chain challenges posed by
SA’s road, rail and ports
network infrastructure.
The overarching message
from cargo owners was
simple – a major increase
in volumes with logistics
facilities that have failed to
keep pace. The impact in
terms of delays is damaging
the country’s reputation
and constricting its growth
trajectory.
It was a message
with which Erwin clearly
identified.
“Competitive transport
and logistics costs must
always be a key objective in
a trading economy such as
ours,” he said.
And while South Africa
has made some progress
since a study conducted
in 1998 by Moving South
Africa which revealed that,
although there were small
pockets of cooperation
locally, South Africa lagged
way behind the USA, the
UK, Western Europe and
Asia in terms of supply
chain collaboration and
integration, much needs to
be done.
“Effective intermodal
transport solutions,
particularly between road
and rail, and genuine supply
chain collaboration, are
critical to the efficiency of
South African supply chains,
which in turn are critical to
industrial competitiveness,”
Erwin said.
“As Transnet’s emphasis
shifts to growth it will be
necessary to find effective
working relations with
shippers and to explore
a range of possible
partnerships with other
players in the freight
system.”
Clearly efficiency must
be ramped up in order to
compete in a global
market where competition
is tough and will get
tougher, said Erwin, who
pledged his support
to assisting with real
implementation wherever
there was a role for the DPE
or government to play.
Truckers raise alarm over new autogate system
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