Starting on Wednesday ( Sep 4), line-towed container ships will be able to travel to and from Pasir Panjang Terminal at night as part of efforts to increase terminal performance.  ,
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore ( MPA ) stated in a media release on Wednesday that this was previously only permitted at Brani and Keppel Terminals, where the navigational traffic is less complicated.  ,
Following the four-month prosecution of the new measure with six boat operators, MPA and PSA Singapore completed the new rule.  ,
Between 7pm and 6:30am, boats will be able to carry vessels in and out of the Port of Singapore and nearby ports, including those for transhipment.
On average, each line-towed boat you have the equivalent of 300 standard shipping vessels.  ,
” By enabling more containers to be delivered on barges throughout the day at Pasir Panjang Terminal, this measure will improve connectivity with regional ports, ( and ) enhance port efficiency”, said MPA.  ,
Additionally, it said, it may shorten the amount of time box and feed vessels spend at seat and the require for pots to be transported between land terminals.  ,
The initiative is a part of MPA’s continued attempts to evaluate its rules and regulations to lower company costs, time to run, and improve resource efficiency while ensuring security.  ,
CNA originally reported in May that shipping disruptions in Singapore had more than doubled. In order to make more timely sales, some local businesses afterwards learned in July that some local businesses were switching from ocean to air transport.  ,
In response to a parliamentary inquiry in July on the sufficiency of Singapore’s waterways to control severe goods congestion, Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat claimed that the Red Sea crisis had increased” the needs and difficulty” of container management at Singapore’s slot.
In consequence, box warships were staying in the slot long, which shortened the time for receiving vessels and created congestion at the berths, he added.  ,
The Port of Singapore handled an estimated 23.82 million common shipping containers, according to MPA, in the first seven months of 2024.
Container levels increased by 6.1 % over the same period last year, it added.  ,
According to MPA, the average wait time for pot seats at ports was shortened to less than one evening in July.  ,
These enhancements are attributable to MPA and PSA, it continued, citing the recurrence of garden spaces and berths at Keppel Terminal as illustrations.