Shipping lines express concern at Colombo Port delays
Sri Lankan Port authorities are keeping their fingers crossed on the hopes that the Adani West Container Terminal is panacea at the Colombo Port as it becomes operational around July following meetings with shipping lines on Wednesday and in the past few weeks.
Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Chairman (Rtd.) Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe told The Sunday Times Business that they are keeping their fingers crossed that the West Container Terminal will become operational so as to help ease the congestion and reduce delays at the port.
With the turnaround time at the Colombo Port extending for days the SLPA Chairman said, “That’s why we are keeping our fingers crossed with WCIT.”
He noted that with the main shipping lines requiring deep draft terminal the operations of the WCIT is key to accommodating these vessels.
The chairman stated this following a key meeting held with shipping lines on Wednesday where lines have expressed concerns due to the congestion at the port of Colombo.
Admiral Ranasinghe noted that the lines have however stated that they are confident of Colombo as well and hope to sign the Terminal Service Agreements (TSAs) as well.
He pointed out that although the East Container Terminal (ECT) is a deep draft terminal the equipment required at the terminal is likely to be late like the straddle carriers that are required to move containers. Authorities are said to be looking at options on the type of movers to be incorporated.
However, the shipping industry opines that the ECT is required to be operational to ensure the operations of the port can take place smoothly.
In the meantime, the CASA is scheduled to hold a meeting with the authorities next week on the delays in inter terminal trucking and express concern about berthing delays as they need to act fast without which lines will need to resort to other options like shifting transshipment volumes to other regional hub ports.
Hitad.lk has you covered with quality used or brand new cars for sale that are budget friendly yet reliable! Now is the time to sell your old ride for something more attractive to today's modern automotive market demands. Browse through our selection of affordable options now on Hitad.lk before deciding on what will work best for you!