APM Terminals Apapa has launched a berthing window service aiming to reduce the waiting time of ships and ease the delivery of consignments at the Nigerian port.
The first berthing window for the Waf/Mwx service, operated by the liner operators Hapag Lloyd, CMA CGM and Arkas, was established last week with the arrival of the CMA CGM Lapis Panamax vessel at APM Terminals Apapa, which is located within the Lagos Port Complex in Apapa of West Africa.
The Chief Commercial Officer of APM Terminals Apapa, Richard Smith believes the service will enable the allocation of a fixed time period for vessels to berth, discharge, load and sail.
“The berthing window is a major step towards bringing structure to the berth schedule, cutting waiting time to zero, assisting shipping lines to maintain a regular fixed arrival time, and allowing us to deliver better services to Nigerian importers and exporters,” he commented.
Moreover, the Port Manager of Lagos Port Complex Apapa, Olufunmilayo Olotu noted that the newly launched service will boost service delivery and eliminate ship waiting time at the port.
“We want to reduce the number of ships that are kept waiting at anchorage. So for every minute that a vessel is kept waiting, we are talking of global economic implications,” pointed out Oloty, who went on to add that “our duty is to ensure that we reduce the waiting time to the barest minimum, and we are collaborating with APM Terminals to ensure that customers are satisfied.”
Meanwhile, Senior Manager, Operation at Hapag-Lloyd, Abimbola Kolade explained another benefit arising from the new Window Service, which is non-other than the reduced cost for the customers.
“You know when the window is starting, and so you know how to plan your time towards the arrival of your goods and what this means for exports is that we can tell customers when their containers will be loaded onto the vessel at Apapa and when the vessel would get to its destination,” explained Kolade.
