Vessel delays at the Port of Richards Bay increased sharply last week, despite relatively stable conditions on the road and within the port precinct.
Vessel anchorage time rose to three days and two hours during the week of August 3-9, an increase of one day and six hours week on week, according to the latest RSA Corridor Pulse Report from Crickmay's Logistics Monitoring System.
Berth time also increased, reaching three days and nine hours – up six hours and 28 minutes from the previous week. The report said vessel waiting time had climbed to its highest level in a month, making the vessel side the main pressure point on the Ermelo-Richards Bay corridor.
Landside operations remained comparatively stable. Heavy motor vehicle road transit time was nine hours and 24 minutes, only two minutes higher week on week, while average turnaround time in the port precinct improved by 29 minutes to three hours and 34 minutes.
The corridor therefore retained a ‘clear’ status in the report, despite the deterioration in vessel performance.
Across the wider network, Richards Bay emerged as the newest vessel-side pressure point. Three of the eight corridors monitored were under pressure or on watch during the week, while conditions on several other major routes remained relatively stable.
