Yangtze river traffic plagued by problems
June 30, 2011 Category Inland river transport, Logistics
Falling water levels and cutthroat competition are among the five main challenges facing port operators along the Yangtze river, just as manufacturers increasingly shift production to central and western regions. Gu Qiangsheng, General Manager of the Wuhan Port Group, said the other difficulties were terminal overcapacity, obsolete port equipment and inadequate support facilities, including container repair and data processing. He said the water depth during drought conditions was down to 2.8 meters and cargo-carrying vessels were unable to reach Wuhan. Gu said that although there were plans under the 12th Five Year Plan to increase the navigable water depth to 4.5 meters during the dry season, proposals to dredge the river bed by 2015 were still being prepared. He added that local and provincial authorities had encouraged the development of terminals and docks, causing overcapacity. This meant port operators offered “low-quality services and price-cutting competition to attract customers”, Gu said. Hutchison Port Holdings, in a joint venture with Sinotrans and Shanghai International Port (Group), has invested in terminals in Wuhan, while SIPG has stakes in seven ports along the Yangtze river. Joe Monroe Consulting, said CNY36.6 billion had been earmarked to improve port and transport facilities along the Yangtze – nearly three times the budget under the 11th Five Year Plan.
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