Panama Canal reduces reservations to clear traffic

The Panama Canal Authority said it would temporarily reduce the number of booking slots in its transit reservation system, along with other changes beginning Friday, due to an increased backlog in vessels waiting to transit the canal.

The authority said it would also reduce the number of booking slots for supers -- ships with beams 91 feet or longer -- to 15 from 17, for other ships from nine to eight.

A canal spokesperson said the change would give schedulers more flexibility to move ships through the canal and eliminate a backlog of vessels waiting to transit the waterway.

The authority said earlier this month that a surge in traffic in February combined with maintenance work at the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks had resulted in more ships waiting to use the canal.

To cope with the backlog it has also discontinued maintenance work at the locks, and has assigned additional crews, tugs and locomotives at no additional charge to ships. 

Source: American Shipper