‘Trailer operators' business has not improved at Vallarpadam'

The teething troubles are far from over for the Vallarpadam container terminal, even four months after it was commissioned. Trailer operators who carry the containers to and from the terminal say their business is sluggish.

The Cochin Container Carrier Owners Welfare Association has sought the State Government's intervention to resolve the problems faced by the port users and to make Vallarpadam terminal cost effective. Mr P. Ramachandran, President of the association, spoke to Business Line about the problems being faced by the trailer operators.

He also recommended forming a committee comprising steamer agents, trailer operators, Custom House Agents, CFS operators to get more business for the new terminal. He said that the disputes connected with the trade in the terminal should be solved immediately by negotiations for smooth operations. This will definitely boost the image of the port and make the terminal viable for the trade.

Excerpts from the interview:

Did trailer operators' businesses improve after Vallarpadam terminal became operational ?

Trailer operators' businesses have not improved after the commissioning of Vallarpadam. We expected mother vessels to call at the terminal. This is not happening due to the draught problem.

There are also reports that cargoes — especially coir and cashew — are being diverted to other ports due to high port charges at Vallarpadam. However, with 14.5 metres of draught expected at the terminal shortly, the situation will definitely improve. It is understood that the dredging in the area to achieve the required draught is fast progressing.

There have been complaints that the trade is not getting enough trailers? Your comment.

There is no shortage of vehicles. After moving to Vallarpadam, vehicles take more time to deliver the containers. For example; a container from Kochi to Alappuzha and Kollam used to take only 24 hours to cover nearly 200 km up and down. However, this has changed to nearly three days as there are more procedures at the new terminal.

First of all, the operators have to take their trailers to Vallarpadam from Willingdon Island and take the vehicles back to the island for examination before moving to their respective destinations with the cargo. This takes a lot of time and reduces the availability of vehicles.

The Vallarpadam terminal was inaugurated without providing adequate backup facilities such as sufficient container parking yards. However, the terminal operator has now taken steps to provide the facilities to trailers and this is expected to improve the trailer operations.

What are the issues being faced by the industry ?

Heavy penalties for overloading of container trailers imposed by the Motor Vehicles Department in Kerala have become a matter of concern to the trailer operators. The operators are not responsible for overloading of containers. Most of the States have given oral permission to container trailers to ply with extra weight. The containers are designed according to international standards and the tonnage of trailers varies. Given the situation, Kerala Government should take steps to give relaxations for trailers plying with Exim cargo from the State.

The trailer operators have also decided to go for an indefinite strike from June 26 midnight to protest against the decision of the MV department to charge trailers for overloading. It is up to the Government to find a solution to the problem.

Is the single-window clearance at Walayar check post helping smoother movement of trailers to Kochi? Do you face any difficulties at Walayar?

The level of unhealthy practices at Walayar check post has come down to a certain extent recently after government interventions. There are some other issues resulting in the delay of getting clearance for Exim cargo arriving from the hinterland. However, the MoU between DP World and Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry to assist the Exim trade for quicker movement of containers at the check post is expected to provide relief to the trade from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu using the ICTT facility at Vallarpadam.

The chamber has been running the facilitation centre since 2006 for its members. Under the new agreement with DP World, the facilitation centre will operate 24x7, providing assistance to all Exim traffic moving through the check post to and from the ICTT at Vallarpadam. The facilitation centre is equipped with all the communication facilities and manpower to ensure prompt assistance and minimal time wastage.

With ICTT operational and mainline services soon directly calling ICTT, the Exim cargo movements from major markets of Coimbatore, Tirupur, Salem and Bangalore through the largest check post in Kerala is expected to increase exponentially. The facilitation centre is a step ahead of demand, and will assist customers in clearance of their cargo at the check post, resulting in smooth movement of trailers.

Earlier, exporters had to rely only on truck drivers, who often did not have the knowledge or assistance at the check post to get their goods cleared quickly.

Has the roll-on-roll-off (Ro-RO) facility affected trailer movements?

The Ro-Ro facility has not affected the trailer movement as Ro-Ro operations are mainly concentrating on moving containers through barges between Willingdon Island and Vallarpadam.

When the inland water connectivity to the terminal improves, the trade may opt for the water mode of transportation as it is cheap than road transport. The port should also extend all support to container vehicles arriving from the southern side of the State by providing all facilities at Q-7 berth for users. This would generate more revenue for the port.

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