New equipment at Transnet set to reduce backlog at SA's ports
Some of the country's ports, especially Cape Town and Durban have experienced heavy delays.
Transnet cargo train. Picture: Supplied/Transnet
CAPE TOWN - All the country's ports are expected to receive a boost with new equipment to help alleviate congestion and delays.
Some ports, especially Cape Town and Durban, have experienced heavy delays caused by incompetence and ageing equipment among other issues.
However, Transnet said the situation is improving.
READ: Port of Cape Town ready for fruit import & export season - Creecy
Transnet group Chief Operating Officer Solly Letsoalo said they've invested a lot of money to improve the turnaround time at the ports.
"And you'll see the same situation where investment that we should've done some years ago is now due. Now we need to catch up with the maintenance of the network of the rail line, the signalling system and all other parts of our rail network and ports need to be updated with an update that should have been done in the past," said Letsoalo.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Barbara Creecy said she met with the Western Cape government to assure it that operations are improving at the Port of Cape Town
Last month, the Western Cape government raised concerns over the slow pace of implementing a turn-around strategy at the Port of Cape Town
The provincial government said the operational challenges facing the port were costing apple and pear farmers more than R20,000 per hectare.
Creecy said it's all systems go for a productive fruit import and export season this summer.
"Ten days ago I had a meeting with the Premier of the Western Cape, my counterpart the MEC for Transport, the MEC for Agriculture, and the Mayor of the City of Cape Town. We discussed this issue, and we explained to them the improvements that we are putting in now," she said.