Port and Shipping

Transport owners halt export container entry thru 2 gates of Ctg port for 7 hrs

Move comes after CPA increases vehicle entry fees
Chattogram port. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das/File

Transport of export containers to Chattogram port from several inland container depots (ICDs) has remained halted since this afternoon due to a strike enforced by a section of transport owners protesting the hike in port entry fees.

Some 100 TEUs export containers are feared to miss shipments through four ships that are scheduled to leave the port early tomorrow morning due to such disruption.

Transport owners were resisting vehicular entry to the port through the two gates -- CPAR and CCT-2 gates -- since 3:00pm.

Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Secretary Md Omar Faruk informed The Daily Star the agitating owners started allowing vehicles through the CCT-2 Gate around 10:00pm while CPA security officials were trying to negotiate with them regarding entry through the other gate (CPAR).

CPA increased all types of vehicle and individual entry fees as per the revised tariff schedule that came into effect at 12:01am on Wednesday (October 15).

The entry fee for heavy vehicles like trucks, covered vans, and prime mover trailers has been raised to Tk 230 per vehicle from the previous rate of Tk 57.50, a 300 percent rise.

Mohammad Hossain, general secretary of Chattogram Prime Mover Owners Association, told The Daily Star on Wednesday that the rise is very high and they will not operate vehicles if the hike is not revoked.

A group of owners started resisting prime movers coming from different depots with export containers near CPAR and CCT-2 gates of the port creating a long queue.

Export containers carrying vehicles coming from 14 out of 20 private ICDs are permitted to get entry through these two gates.

Meanwhile, Chattogram Prime Mover Workers Union Joint Secretary Hasan Mahmud said they are not with the strike.

He further said these owners do not own the prime mover trailers coming from the ICDs.

ICD owners said they sent their vehicles with extra fees but those were barred by some transport owner leaders.

AKM Abdul Hadi, operation manager of an ICD -- Nemson Container Ltd -- located at Sitakunda, said at least 30 TEUs of export containers from their depot were waiting in queue till 10:30pm.

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