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Long queues, no loos ...it's Southampton!

10th October 2002
Page 14
Page 14, 10th October 2002 — Long queues, no loos ...it's Southampton!
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Keywords : Southampton, Oxley

It seems that no-one has a good word to say about Southampton Container Terminal Chris Tindall headed south to investigate.

• Horrendous delays and the lack of even basic toilet facilities have been a regular highlight of stories about Southampton Container Terminal. Since May CM has been reporting the problems at one of Northern Tope's fastest growing terminals. But according to drivers who use the port, it seems that the situation is not improving.

What better way to take in the Southampton experience at first hand than to hitch a lift in a wagon using the port...

11:40hrs: Arrive at Gate 20 of the terminal, with just a handful or trucks passing through. The taxi driver is amazed at how quiet it is and says the area is normally heavily congested. 12:00hrs: Slight increase in traffic travelling into the dock over the dock bridge. David Oxley of a Welsh-based transport firm is awaiting a call from his boss with the go-ahead to proceed through the 'fast" vehicle booking system (VBS) that his firm pays extra for.

Oxley is at Southampton every day and regularly experiences lengthy delays.

"Yesterday I got here at 06:35hrs and came out at 09:00hrs," he reports. "According to the docks it should take 35 minutes, but car guarantee it will take several hours."

Oxley points out the one and only toilet block next to the entrance to the terminal: "The cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired," he remarks.

12.15hrs: After receiving his call with the security codes he

needs to punch into the ticket machine, we proceed through the VBS lane, There are now two lanes for operators who have paid for this privilege: the conventional, slower, route still only has the one, even though there are about a dozen lanes feeding into it.

Oxley thinks this is ridiculous, considering the sheer weight of traffic that often builds up.

12:30hrs: A problem arises with the booking codes Oxley has been given—an error message is displayed every time he types them in at the barrier. We go to the drivers' reception to report the problem. The attitude from the reception staff is that we are the ones at fault and Oxley is told to call his boss back to confirm the numbers.

He does so and confirms that the numbers are correct. A trip back to the reception reveals that the manual release numbers that should guarantee him access to the docking area have expired. Oxley believes the blame lies with the shipping lines for allowing this to happen.

12:45hrs: An owner-driver outside the drivers' reception is waiting to go through the standard lane. He says Felixstowe is bad but he would choose to go there over Southampton if he could. He agrees with Oxley that Southampton is by far the worst terminal in England.

He knows of drivers who have resorted to defecating into bags after queuing for so long, because there are no toilets once you have passed through the booking-in area, This dire situation is embarrassing, he says, not least because more and more women are coming into the business.

According to the driver, traf fic at Gate 20 was so cong on Tuesday that qt stretched back out of the t nal and onto the dual can way—police had to be dr in to help ease the traffic. 13:02hrs: After a sent phone calls the manual re numbers have now renewed and we prc through to the docking poii far our truck has not checked for its contents. says he always makes a pc stating no checks were u taken by port staff on a ter form, simply to cover himsi 13:05hrs: We arrive at A and wait for a straddle drk remove the container Oxley's truck.

He points out one sitti his vehicle reading a nev per. However, we are with within minutes anc move on to receive the t off the ship.

13:15hrs: The straddle cz with Smart Transport's car waiting for us: Oxley is a ished and says this has r happened to him before.

He starts to wonder if has gore round that a reel is on board.

13:18hrs: The second stn carrier is waiting to load onto our truck.

Oxley is now convincer someone has been inform, CM's presence; another d nearby agrees that ( seems to be receiving "pr ertial treatment".

13:25his: Oxley has dropped off one box and pi up two and has left the ten after using the "fast track" Despite those suspicion preferential treatment, arv lack of traffic, the collectioi taken 1hr1Omin.

Tags

Locations: Southampton

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