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Calais plans multiple berths
Page 14
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At last: good news for international operators and drivers fed up with hold-ups at Calais and queues on the M20. Brian Weatherly reports.
RELIEF COULD be in sight for international operators who have faced horrendous delays caused by berthing problems at Calais.
However, it will be the end of the year before the trouble-hit French terminal has six berths back in operation compared with the current three — a situation which is causing major delays in docking inbound ferries.
Kevin Root, Seafrance's head of operations, says a major effort is being made by the port authorities in France to step up throughput with a third 'big-ship' berth corn ing on stream on 19 May, bringing the total to four.
However, any extra capacity will be short-lived as the overall number of berths at Calais will revert back to three between 15 June and 14 July as major maintenance work is carried out."There's a lot that's still to happen." cautions Root.
But by the end of 2005 throughput should match that available in Dover.
Despite rumours that the major ferry companies are planning to sue the Calais Chamber of Commerce (the ferry port's operators) over the ongoing problems — caused when a link-span on the No 7 berth collapsed in February — Commercial Motor understands that PSLO and Seafrance are currently only doing 'damage assessment' to quantify the impact on their business.
It's still not yet clear if they will ultimately seek compensation through the French courts.
As more berths come on stream at Calais. Root expects to see a reduced need for Operation Stack, which involves parking trucks on the southbound M20.
"Prior to the problems [with Calais] this year, it was only used four times in 2004," he reports. "We've had a major, major glitch in the system and that's what's brought it to the fore."