Trucks likely to clog Port of Botany

Botany residents could experience a dramatic increase in truck movements with the introduction of new rules at Port Botany designed to improve roadside efficiency, according to Southern Courier.

At an industry meeting last week, the Ports Minister, Paul McLeay, announced the introduction of penalties for stevedore sluggishness and late truck arrivals at the port.

However, Patrick divisional general manager Paul Garaty said the measures would increase congestion rather than reduce it.
"Currently, 44,000 trucks arrive late for their designated time slot each year. With the introduction of regulation, these trucks will be turned back onto Sydney's roads, otherwise Patrick risks exposure to delays and consequent financial penalties."

The news comes one week after Patrick announced the cessation of its rail services to and from Port Botany, a move expected to result in an extra 45,000 truck movements.

Under the new regulations that are also designed to facilitate a move to around-the-clock port operations, stevedores must pay the road carrier US$22.15 for every 15-minute delay, $88.77 for a cancelled slot within two hours of that slot, or $44.38 if the cancellation is sooner than two hours before the slot.

Meanwhile, the road carrier must pay the stevedore $44.38 for late arrival and $88.77 for a no-show.

Although Garaty said the new regulations would mean trucks now arriving late would be forced out of the terminal to reschedule their slot and wait, the chairman of the Australian Trucking Association's container section, Mike Moylan, said the assumption that drivers would not alter their behaviour was an insult.

"Truck drivers are acutely aware of the environmental impact we have on the area, how we impact the roads, and the safety of the community, so the perception of truckies wandering around the ports aimlessly is bloody ridiculous," he said.

McLeay restated the government's commitment to moving 40 per cent of containers to and from the port by rail. However, a spokesman for Botany Bay Council said the chances of the government reaching the target was "yours and Buckley's".

(Source: Cargo News Asia)