Port of Durban tackles Bayhead Rd congestion
"This initiative combined with the recently launched booking system, will help with volume smoothing into the port.” - Port of Durban GM, Moshe Motlohi
TRANSNET National Ports Authority (TNPA) at the Port of Durban is pleased to confirm that the private bulk terminal in the Island View Precinct, that has been at the centre of recent operations related congestion challenges, has introduced an interim solution to ease congestion on Bayhead Road.
The affected terminal has secured a truck staging facility at the Old Durban Airport south of Durban where trucks will need to be pre-processed before calling at the port. The facility will accommodate between 90 – 100 trucks at any given time.
Trucks will be called in via a booking system from the old airport and no bulk tipper truck will be permitted directly into the terminal or port precinct without a booking reference for each day and a sticker on the windscreen. Each customer will be allocated a number of trucks per day as per the terminal’s operations and shipping plan.
READ: Transnet Port of Durban hosts Bayhead clean-up
General Manager of the Port of Durban Moshe Motlohi said, “This process will allow the terminal to call in trucks in manageable batches helping to alleviate the congestion on Bayhead Road. This initiative combined with the recently launched booking system, will help with volume smoothing into the port.”
In the past two weeks TNPA, through forums including the Port of Durban Decongestion Task Team and the port’s daily virtual operations meeting with all stakeholders, has escalated calls for all businesses in the port to revise their protocols around giving early warnings of any business disruptions. This would ensure that others who might be affected by the after-effects of such disruptions can be alerted.
A joint planning meeting was also held with businesses in the Cutler Complex on Thursday, 20 August at which complex management committed to getting their users to implement their own booking system. Motlohi said, “In the next three months, we hope to have 80% of the port having adopted a truck booking system.”
Transnet’s Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 and Pier 1 have already successfully launched their booking systems and are factoring in constant feedback from port users to ensure the system is user friendly. TNPA will also be extending the same booking system to the port’s Point terminal in collaboration with port tenant FPT.
Motlohi added, “There is a lot of work still to be done in this space but through our collaborative approach with stakeholders, I remain optimistic while working on the TNPA port’s over-arching booking system. We hope that, ultimately, we will realise the benefit of having a broader booking system where trucks will be regulated in this fashion.”
READ: Back of port solutions explored to reduce Durban port congestion
Last week also saw the long awaited Durban Container Terminal Pier 2 straddle carriers finally being deployed into operation at Pier 2.
These machines are intended to improve handling at the terminal and to help reduce vessel and truck terminal dwell times. “The deployment of efficient and reliable fleet together with the mandatory appointment system will result in better port efficiencies,” said Motlohi.
TNPA has also announced that the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between TNPA and eThekwini Municipality was signed this week, paving the way for construction of a second port access road to Bayhead and Island View.
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