Transnet: to beef up ports

[Steve Appleton]

From TimeLive website:
http://www.timeslive.co.za/business/art ... f-up-ports

Transnet to beef up ports
Mar 14, 2011 11:37 PM | By Sapa
Transnet says it will invest R20.5-billion over the next five years to improve capacity and maintain Durban and Richards Bay harbours.

"We will put new cranes in port harbours because ships wait too long in both harbours," CEO Brian Molefe said yesterday at a session with black professionals organised by Durban Invest. The event was attended by Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba.

Molefe said Transnet was working on a plan to end congestion at Durban harbour. Durban has Africa's biggest container terminal, is South Africa's premier container, vehicle and liquid bulk port, and provides ship repairing, cruise liner, navy, fishing and recreational facilities.

Changing the old Durban International Airport into a dugout port would help increase capacity, Molefe said.

[Steve Appleton]

Included in the above is a proposal, that seems to be fast gaining ground, to dig out the site of the old Durban airport site and convert it into a new container dock. If so, the hopes of small aircraft owners, air charter companies and some private airlines to be able to use the old airport as a closer-to-city, lower-cost alternative domestic airport will be dashed for ever. It would seem that ACSA and the new King Shaka (inappropriately given the ICAO designation: "FALE") have gotten a strong hold on Government's decision makers regardless of any other arguments.

Whilst Durban clearly needs additional, modern dock space, the provision of an alternative, smaller, competitive airport is also an important facility for any major city like Durban to possess. Most major cities worldwide have alternative airports that are better suited to smaller airlines and charter traffic. Johannesburg has Lanseria, Rand and Grand Central; Pretoria has Wonderboom and Waterkloof (state and military); London has City, Gatwick and Stanstead; etc, etc. To deprive Durban of such a facility (leaving it with the limited, cramped Virginia) when, due to the topology of the area, there are really never likely to be any future reasonably close airport sites would be an irreversable act and a pity.

[John Ashworth]

And Nairobi has the small (but busy) Wilson Airport as well as Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.