Maersk Line plans to operate an ad-hoc direct sailing from India’s Port of Chennai to Jebel Ali, a major transshipment hub in the Middle East.
The move is expected to help clear up the export backlog which has accumulated in recent weeks because of severe terminal congestion and trucking problems at India’s second-largest container gateway.
“The transit time from Chennai to Jebel Ali will be seven days. The trade is expected to benefit from this direct one-time sailing given excellent onward connections over Jebel Ali,” a Maersk India official said.
The vessel sailing from Chennai is scheduled for Dec. 17, arriving Jebel Ali Dec. 24.
Port truck drivers, who abruptly suspended operations Monday for the second time in a month, agreed to call off their action Wednesday following repeated requests from the port chairman.
“The issues pertaining to road improvements and the opening of additional entry-exit gates for truck movements have been taken up with appropriate authorities for immediate remedy,” the chairman told truckers’ representatives.
A DP World Chennai official said the opening of an additional exit gate during night hours will help ease traffic congestion considerably.
The terminal yard inventory held more than 15,000 containers, mostly imports, as of Wednesday morning, according to officials in the Traffic Department.
Chennai, with its two terminals managed by DP World and PSA International, handled 1 million TEUs from April through November, growing 30 percent year-over-year.
The move is expected to help clear up the export backlog which has accumulated in recent weeks because of severe terminal congestion and trucking problems at India’s second-largest container gateway.
“The transit time from Chennai to Jebel Ali will be seven days. The trade is expected to benefit from this direct one-time sailing given excellent onward connections over Jebel Ali,” a Maersk India official said.
The vessel sailing from Chennai is scheduled for Dec. 17, arriving Jebel Ali Dec. 24.
Port truck drivers, who abruptly suspended operations Monday for the second time in a month, agreed to call off their action Wednesday following repeated requests from the port chairman.
“The issues pertaining to road improvements and the opening of additional entry-exit gates for truck movements have been taken up with appropriate authorities for immediate remedy,” the chairman told truckers’ representatives.
A DP World Chennai official said the opening of an additional exit gate during night hours will help ease traffic congestion considerably.
The terminal yard inventory held more than 15,000 containers, mostly imports, as of Wednesday morning, according to officials in the Traffic Department.
Chennai, with its two terminals managed by DP World and PSA International, handled 1 million TEUs from April through November, growing 30 percent year-over-year.