South African state-owned logistics giant Transnet announced the suspension of coal truck processing at its Richards Bay terminal in a bid to address the chaotic influx of trucks and restore operational order, Reuters reported, citing notice of the company on November 20.

The move comes as the company grapples with a surge in demand for bulk minerals and faces challenges in its rail operations, marked by locomotive shortages, spares deficiencies, cable theft, and vandalism.

The company was suspending ship booking services for coal loads brought by trucks at least until current bookings, extending up to February 2024, are cleared, the report said, citing Thulasizwe Dlamini, managing executive of Richards Bay Terminal.

Dlamini emphasized the necessity of temporarily freezing vessel nominations to alleviate congestion-related disruptions, which have not only impacted business operations but also posed safety concerns for municipal authorities.

"The intention is not to frustrate the movement of coal out of the country, but to create order," Dlamini was cited as saying.

In 2022, an estimated 41 million tonnes of mineral ores were transported to South African ports by road, necessitating the use of nearly 1.4 million 30-tonne trucks, Reuters reported, citing data from the country's Minerals Council.

(Writing by Emma Yang  Editing by Harry Huo)
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