Gearless vessel number downsized at Ctg port

Chittagong Port Authority in an undeclared move forced the shipping companies to downsize the number of gearless (ships without cranes) vessels calling at this premier port of the country, port and shipping circles said.
A senior CPA official said that such a move was taken against the backdrop of protracted congestion of vessels and damage caused by two key gantry cranes at Chittagong Container Terminal that crippled the handling operation here.
Number of gearless vessels calling at Chittagong port now came down to only seven against 13 earlier, he informed.
The two key gantry cranes were badly damaged and fully went out of order as a foreign container ship MV Express Suez while taking berth at CCT on June 26 this year hit them hard, he said.
The accident occurred as the pilot of that vessel failed to control the ship at the time of berthing, he explained.
Chairman of Bangladesh shipping agents association Ahsanul Huq Chowdhury said, ‘We are facing problem after the number of gearless vessels operating between Chittagong port and foreign ports was downsized.’
‘It’s an undeclared move taken recently. Chittagong Port Authority has not yet issued any circular in this regard, yet it forced the shipping 
companies to downsize the number of gearless vessels,’ he added.
‘Now we have to look for geared vessels at higher freights which in the long run raises the transportation costs against import and export cargo to and from Chittagong port,’ he said.
Chairman of Port Users Forum Mahbub Alam observed that Chittagong port should be equipped with more gantry cranes to avert such type of dislocation in case of any accident.
‘Without having preparation, it will be difficult for the port authorities to tackle any crisis in ship and cargo handling operation here,’ he said. 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net