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SCT imposes extra fee
Page 14
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3outhampton Container Terminal plans yet another evamp of its booking system. Chris Tindall reports.
OUTHAMPTON Container 'erminal's (SCT) plans to cut conestion with a mandatory booking for all delivery vehicles have cen rebuffed by the trade associaion that was consulted "extenively" on the controversial cheme.
Road Haulage Association's egional director Chris Wright, is reluctant to comment on whether then-per-vehicle booking fee and £25 charge for a no-show are in his members' best interests, but he admits: -1 suspect it probably won't [iron out peak times].
"It's delivery times at the other end that determine peaks," he points out -In 18 years I have never known a way to deal with a peak its not a happy situation."
SCT intends to roll out the system, which it claims came about "following extensive consultation with RHA members", from 6 June. though charging will not begin until 18 July.
The fee will only be levied during peak periods and can be paid via the internet.
SCT business development director Derek Smith says: "If there are any major motorway pile-ups, ring up and we won't charge it. As long as they communicate before they don't turn up, there are ample opportunities to avoid the £25 charge."
However, Smith concedes operators will not receive a penny of compensation if they are delayed at the port, though they will get their £1 back.
He adds: "What was screwing things up was 65% used [the vehicle booking system] during the peak times. So 65% were getting poorer service than they should have. It's not just VBS we have changed, it's the whole process."
But regular operators to the terminal describe the system as "enforced trading". Mike Lewry at Totton-based Elite Transport says: -What the port doesn't realise is that roads are always going to be used at peak times, and the port is always going to be the same.You will always have the peak times."
Lewry says SCT should manage the peak periods rather than attempt to get rid of them.