On Friday 25 March the final vessel discharging and loading using the old COSMOS system will take place at DCT: Pier 2. On Saturday 26 March at 06h00 operations will stop at the terminal. All TPT-operated terminals in Port Elizabeth, Ngqura, Cape Town and Durban will then cease operation from 18h00 on Saturday 26 March to resume operations at 06h00 on Sunday 27 March if all goes smoothly.
The computerised, web-based Navis operating system governs the movement of all container logistics and operations in the terminal from gate to yard to vessel. DCT is one of the biggest and busiest container terminals in the Southern Hemisphere. Teething problems and delays around the changeover are a real possibility for which the port operator must be fully prepared. The terminal would also be introducing the same R15 million automated gate system and multi-lane drive through that has been in place at the neighbouring DCT: Pier 1 since 2008.
Supported by a computerised operating system, access card scanner, security cameras with optical character recognition (OCR) and Navis integration, the auto gate should bring faster truck and cargo turnaround, reduced costs, decreased traffic, more accurate data, damage inspection at check-in point, effective track-and-trace, increased security, and improved health and safety for truckers and employees who no longer need to exit their vehicles to complete paperwork.