Mozambique: Dry port to cut traffic of heavy trucks by half

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Mozambique: Dry port to cut traffic of heavy trucks by half

4:48 CAT | 13 Jan 2021

Photos: Ministry of Transport and Communications

Mozambique’s publicly owned ports and railway company (CFM) expects to finish by February the construction of a dry port in Ressano Garcia, near the border with South Africa, in Maputo province, which will cut by half the road traffic of dump trucks carrying ferro-chrome to the Port of Maputo.

The dry port in Ressano Garcia, about 98 kilometres from Maputo, will increase the handling capacity of minerals to 50,000 tonnes per month. The infrastructure, with an installed capacity to receive 270 trucks per day – which translates into three trains a day, each with 60 wagons – results from a partnership between CFM and the South African company, the Logistics Group (TLG).

Briefing the media after visiting the site, Transport Minister Janfar Abdulai said the initiative is intended to transfer cargo currently ferried by trucks to the railways.

“We are pleased with the developments on the ground and the work is 70 per cent advanced, which will reduce road accidents,” Abdulai said, adding that the infrastructure will cut by half the number of dump trucks moving along the EN4 motorway, connecting Mozambique and South Africa.

The minister, who refused to disclose the amount of money invested, said that in the initial phase the dry port will include the immigration service and customs clearance.

Florbela Trancoso, TLG logistics director, confirmed that the main objective of the new terminal is to reduce the number of trucks crossing the Ressano Garcia border and making their way to the port of Maputo. “In order to minimise the impact of these trucks, the idea arose of creating this terminal to ease the entry and exit of trucks ferrying minerals to the port.”

Heavy goods vehicles cause enormous damage to roads, and the Mozambican authorities have long insisted that most of the goods they carry should be transported by rail.

TLG currently manages the Matola Cargo Terminal as well as KM4 customs terminals at Ressano Garcia.