The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Trailer operators halt work at Chennai port

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 15, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Trailer operators halt work at Chennai port

N. Ravi Kumar

They are seeking a hike in transportation charges

CHENNAI: Movement of import-laden containers from Chennai port's container terminal has come to a halt since Wednesday following a stand off between the trailer operators and users over the transportation charges.

The situation, leading to a pile-up of cargo boxes at the terminal,resulted due to operators demanding a hike in the charges. They are seeking an increase in the backdrop of the Transport Department implementing the directions of the Supreme Court against over-loading of trailer vehicles.

According to S.R. Raja, president of Trailer Owners Association, the operators while deciding to comply with the directions asked for an increase from the users. The rise, he said, was to compensate partially the loss that they would incur as a result of carrying only one container.

A meeting between four trailer operator associations and container freight stations, customs house and steamers agents associations on Thursday could not resolve the stalemate. Sources told The Hindu that the user associations sought a week's time to decide on the quantum of increase in the charges.

In response, the trailer operators sought an ad-hoc payment of around Rs.1,000 per movement of containers from the port to the container freight stations till the users decide on the increase. The users, however, said they could not concede this demand unless they discuss it with the chambers of commerce.

Stating this the sources said if the stalemate continued it would affect the operations at the terminal as the yard would be congested.

The Chief Executive Officer of Chennai Container Terminal Limited Ennarasu Karunesan said about 2,000 import-laden containers have been added since Wednesday to the normal yard inventory of around 6,000 TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units).

However, there has been no impact on the vessel operations and loading of export containers.

He said during normal times the trailers move around 1,000 containers daily from the terminal to the container freight stations.

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