India's largest container port JNPT has significantly cut export dwell time of cargo by 30.7 per cent to 63 hours and is developing an e-market portal for evacuation of import containers within 24 hours from the terminal, a top official said Monday.
JNPT is one of the top 12 major ports in the country under the shipping ministry. It has contributed significantly in improvement of India's rank in World Bank evaluation in the parameter 'Trading Across Border' from 146 to 80.
"Export dwell time at JNPT which was hovering around 91 hours in 2014-15 has been reduced to 63 hours in September 2018. Ministry of Shipping has been continuously striving for faster cargo evacuation and reduced dwell time at the port," Shipping Secretary Gopal Krishna told PTI.
The port has taken a slew of steps to encourage direct port delivery (DPD) through its terminals by simplifying the registration processes, rationalising the handling charges and removing the need for deposits besides creating physical infrastructure to cope with increased DPD clientele.
The port is also working on introducing a transport arrangement to serve the dual purpose of reducing congestion in the port access road as also in operations.
"Studies conducted for improving cost and dwell time at JNPT have indicated that around 2,500 trailers bringing boxes from JNPT's deep hinterland return empty from the port, even when over 3,000 import containers are lined up for evacuation to container freight station (CFS) at any point of time," the secretary said.
He said another 3,000 empty trailers move separately to the terminals to evacuate the imported containers.
More From This Section
"The port proposes to avoid the unproductive movement of over 5,000 empty trailers by this new intervention. The plan is to create an e-market portal which allocates an import container to the trailers once it drops export containers on their return leg," he added.
The import containers could be destined to any of the CFSs, he said adding, the transport rates to different CFSs will be pre-decided and notified.
The container vehicle can deposit the import container at the destined CFS and collect the agreed rate, Krishna explained.
He said the uncleared container will be deposited in the custom area of the CFS and the DPD (customs cleared but not picked up in the designated time) will be deposited in the buffer area of the CFS.
The secretary said the movement of the container will be electronically tracked for security purpose and the portal will ensure the evacuation of import containers within 24 hours from the terminal.
He said the proposed solution incorporates an inclusive agenda to sustain the employment of the existing local transporters in the unorganised sector as well and will also bring down pollution and parking issues.
The idea is to implement the proposal in the current fiscal, he added.