Manila terminal operators move to ease congestion

International Container Terminal Services Inc (ICTSI) and South Harbour Asian Terminals Inc (ATI), two of the largest terminal operators in the country, have announced they they would implement a number of projects this year meant to help resolve port congestion, reported Thai News Service.

ATI said it would build an offsite container yard near its Manila South Harbour concession.

It will be built six km from South Harbour and will likely double the current yard capacity to 120 containers per month.

ATI added it was also extending Pier 3 by 120m, expanding Pier 9, and demolishing two Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) buildings to give way to a bigger and expanded container yard.

For its part, ICTSI expressed its commitment to expand its Berth 6 by 320m, Berth 7 by 300m, as well as its container yard, in the Manila International Container Terminal (MICT).

It is also eyeing a truck-holding area outside the port zone.

Congestion at the said facilities remains heavy, triggered by the Yuletide backlog.

Container dwell time has reportedly increased to 10 days from the already abnormally high seven to eight days.

Trucks are also making a weekly round trip of one from the usual three.

Vessel standby time vessels remains up to five days, with daily losses per vessel reported at US$15,000.

This has prompted international container shipping lines operating in Manila to charge a congestion surcharge ($50 for a TEU and $100 for a FEU) on all incoming and outgoing containers.
(Source:www.cargonewsasia.com)