Exactly a month ago, I had posted on the
woes at Chennai Port with container laden trucks queuing up for kilo
meters for entry into the port. The gateway of South India, Chennai Port ,
the third oldest port among the 12 major
ports has completed 128 years of
service. But some of the troubles
also appear to be century-old. With
only one gate available, at times, there is a serpentine queue of vehicles
lined up for kilometers, creating chaos
and throwing traffic out of gear – not only for those vehicles involved with
movement of cargo to the port but for all other road users as well.
Photo courtesy : dinamalar.com
Earlier there had been trouble arising out
of many causes, including accidents and truckers strikes. A trouble cropping up regularly is attributed
to the ‘single gate and lack of manpower of Customs officials at the gate’. Today’s Dinamalar reports of several
containers stranded while awaiting entry
at Chennai port and the report puts the queuing the line to be 25 + kilometers
and you can easily understand the trouble, the hardship of trade as also those
living around this area. There is no expressway or exclusive road for
the containers, the trucks run and are parked haphazardly on the congested
roads further contributing to the slowdown in movement of containers.
Often Port Officials claim the situation to
have improved but immediately as ever other report of clogging up also crops
up. Besides the road side trouble, it also throws
out of plan the schedule of traders. The
trading community has been calling for better roads and proper facilities and improved infrastructural support from
Customs authorities. The snarling delay
makes the drivers fed up and gives way to petty squabbles amongst them.
Recently, there was a debate in the
Tamilnadu Assembly even on the need for finding a solution to the gate problem
as the only one ‘zero gate’ is inadequate to handle the ever growing traffic.
Amidst such disturbing results of continued
delay and trouble, there is the news of installation of 5 tailor-made ‘container offices' at the Chennai
Port Trust (ChPT) zero gate to expedite clearance of container-laden vehicles. Fitted with air-conditioners these container
offices fulfil the long felt need of Customs officials, who have been demanding
proper facilities at the entry and exit gate to clear goods and vehicles as
they had toil for long hours. The Hindu
reports that Triway Forwarders, which
runs a private Container Freight Station in Manali New Town, has converted
10x10 foot containers into office space, which recently was inaugurated by the Shipping Secretary. This is reported to be a temporary as Custom
Officials are required to be present at
each gate on a 24-hour basis to clear consignments. Besides, steps have to be
taken on a war footing to commence the work on 1.6 km stretch from the zero
gate to S.N. Chetty Street
and opening of Tiruvottiyur Parking Yard.”
A ChPT official was quoted as saying that the new facility has
been modelled on the lines of toll plazas that eliminate the need for the
driver or cleaner to walk down the extra mile to get the consignment cleared.
Such container offices have been installed at six gates – three each for
imports and exports.
However there are fears that the new
arrangement will not ease congestion at the zero gate as vehicles are stopped
and diverted at different points by traffic police near toll gate, Ernavoor
bridge, Manali and Tirvottiyur-Ponneri-Panchetti road. There still is need for proper traffic
management system and speedy disposal at
Customs point, which only will improve better handling of containers and
reducing the unnecessary delay
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar .
9th Dec 2012.
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