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Delays feared at Felixstowe
Page 12
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Dominic Perry reports on hauhersi misgivings about new booking system CONTAINER HAULIERS at Felixstowe say they are worried that management plans to introduce a new computerised booking in system will cost them thousands of pounds in delays.
The move by the port's management, alongside ongoing grievances over waiting times, has raised fears that it will become an east-coast replica of Southampton's failing VBS system which last week reportedly produced queues of over 5km at the container terminal.
Mark Fielding.a traffic operator at Gipping Container Services, says the port has been "operationally difficultlately. He adds: "If they've got ships in alongside the berth, then the traffic builds up because they can't serve both the hauliers and the ships at the same time.
"Vehicles get put into a temporary holding area whey they can wait anywhere up to five hours. It just makes it impossible if your driver has a load to the north or Midlands the following day." An-other haulier complaining about the delays is owner operator Barry Cannel]: "1 had a truck get there at 3.50 one day last week and they finally got the box off at 8.00. It's worse if you are dropping an empty and then picking up a new one —it's a joke."
There have been several meetings with the operators. Road Haulage Association and the port management in a bid to resolve the issues. Paul Davey, corporate affairs manager for Felixstowe. says no system will be introduced without extensive consultation and points out that the average turnaround time is currently 44 minutes.
Ian Wilson. from Hanbury Davies, says Southampton's mistakes must not be repeated. He adds: "VBS has been a disaster at Southampton from the hauliers' point of view. It's costly to operate, intensive in terms of manpower to use, and it doesn't give us any of the promised benefits."