Below refers to updated published article concerning the current challenges all partners are facing at Durban container terminals with congestion and limited bookings available for transporters to uplift containers. We can confirm operations are still a challenge and all stakeholders are working together to eliminate further delays.
Quote: ‘Durban Harbour Carriers chairperson Sue Moodley said the port’s Pier 1 and Pier 2 terminals had not been efficient due to the unavailability of equipment over the past two weeks.
“There are a lot of breakdowns, and as a result, the number of truck booking slots has been reduced, so we cannot access our containers when we want to.” She said the revised booking system that was implemented in March 2020 to improve efficiency during the Covid-19 pandemic was not working efficiently. “The booking system has parameters that need to be met with adequate resources. There were 27 running straddles but only 20 or 22 are now working, so they had to reduce the number of slots. There are insufficient skilled operators available too,” she said.
According to Moodley, Transnet is reviewing slot availability every two to four hours, but because trucks are currently not being turned around in 90 minutes, new slots are not opening quickly enough to give transporters access to pick up boxes.
“The accessibility of containers is a challenge that transporters deal with daily due to the limitation of slots, especially when a specific tower is busy. This impacts negatively, not just on the transporter but also on the customer and the entire logistics chain.
Full article here: https://www.freightnews.co.za/article/durban-transporters-call-meeting-over-truck-booking-system