Mixed reaction to Transnet’s plan for Durban, Richards Bay
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While the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is moving ahead with its Eastern Region Ports Master Plans for the ports of Durban and Richards Bay, the road freight industry is questioning whether road networks and the ports themselves will deal with increased volumes. Cape Town 26-5-2022 The Special Investigative Unit is currently conducting investigations into SAA, Denel, Transnet and the New Age newspaper.pic supplied
Durban - While the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) is moving ahead with its Eastern Region Ports Master Plans for the ports of Durban and Richards Bay, the road freight industry is questioning whether road networks and the ports themselves will deal with increased volumes.
The TNPA said it was 30 days away from concluding the validation process for its master plans, which would position the Port of Durban as a container hub and Port of Richards Bay to handle dry bulk.
It said the Durban Logistics Hub would have increased container capacity of 11.4 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) and automotive capacity exceeding 900 000 units.
The TNPA said the expansion programme would be realised through the construction of new container terminals in the Point and Maydon Wharf port precincts.
CEO of the Road Freight Association, Gavin Kelly, said: “The recent floods showed how vulnerable the access points were, and that there were no alternatives should similar events recur with the proposed increases (in just containers from the Port of Durban). The current road access and feeder system needs to be redesigned, the process of delivering and taking containers out of the port needs to be revised, and staging ‘stations’ for vehicles need to be developed where it is safe for drivers and vehicles, and efficient movement can be done.”
He also said port efficiencies needed to be improved.
Asked if increased container volumes would be a boost for the road freight sector, Kelly said it did not automatically mean more work.
“Trucks need to keep moving – they need to shuttle backwards and forwards to earn revenue and, more importantly, to ensure the constant movement of cargoes from origin to destination (and all the manufacturing or beneficiation processes in between). Thus, if trucks are locked into long queues and cannot keep moving (some will have other loads not related to ports), there will be no real value, as to keep working, many fleets will need to over-extend or over-capitalise with extra vehicles.”
Director of freight company KZN Customs Clearing and Forwarding, Chris Moodley, said: “Currently we have been impacted very severely with the port delays. We have absolutely no means to offer a committed service time plan for the upliftment and delivery of containers from the port to our clients because we go in one day and may only get our containers loaded up the next day at the terminal.”
He said private transporters had repeatedly raised their concerns that shipping lines were given priority over private companies for container movements in and out of port terminals.
“Couple this with the inefficient booking system they have in place, we private transporters are left with the ‘breadcrumbs’ to make appointments to service our own containers in and out of the terminals. I do not see how increased volumes will contribute to any container movement stability in and out of the port. This will just pave the way for more congestion and havoc at the port of Durban.”
An economics lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Dr Sanele Gumede, said if the plan went ahead there would be more truck congestion due to the volumes that would need to be moved.
“We have to look at rail as a form of transporting cargo, and the government needs to look at repairing rail infrastructure and increasing transport by rail. We have to also look at the condition of our roads and bear in mind that it’s not a good thing to have more trucks. It will not only add to traffic congestion but think also about the delays and possible truck accidents. We need to look at ways of reducing the number of trucks on the roads.
“We should have seen this project take off long ago. We understand the master plans are to position Durban port as a container hub. However, we have to bear in mind that the Durban port is not running efficiently and there is already so much strain on the roads. How will we cope with the added traffic congestion?”