Transnet losing millions due to backlogs in the Port of Durban

Freight rail company, Transnet says it is implementing several urgent interventions to address the backlogs at the Port of Durban and ease the congestion at Richards Bay.

In Durban, over 60 vessels are anchored and waiting to be processed, while in Richards Bay, trucks have been waiting to offload, which has caused 10km of traffic congestion.

TRANSNET TRYING TO RESOLVE BACKLOGS AT THE PORT OF DURBAN

Transnet said factors, including inclement weather conditions and equipment availability, are causing the backlog at the port.

Transnet Board Chairperson Andile Sangqu said the problem of port congestion is complex, and it was due to happen at some point due to many years of underinvestment in equipment and maintenance.

“We are working on several measures to turn the situation around. We must caution that this will take some time as the lead times for some of the equipment are from 12 to 18 months.

“The team is working around the clock to procure this important equipment to ensure our port facilities align with global best practice,” Sangqu said.

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WHAT ARE THE INTERVENTIONS?

According to reports, Transnet has already lost R160 million since September and is likely to lose more.

Sangqu said at Pier 2, the plan is to ramp up the tempo from 2 500 – 4 000 containers a day over the next three months.

Under normal conditions, the container handling tempo at Pier 2 is 3 300 containers a day. However, over the past four weeks, this has reduced to 2 500 due to inclement weather and equipment challenges.

“At Pier 1, the tempo will increase from 1 200 to 1 500 containers a day,” he said.

The average berthing delay is now 18 days with more and more ships joining the queue. It is anticipated that it will take 15 weeks to clear the backlog.

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