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Rail-road tariff equalization put in place this month is spurring Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust shippers to use intermodal trains rather than trucking for the movement of cargo cleared under direct port delivery services.
DPD containers must be removed from the port within 48 hours of landing at the dock, and if a shipper fails to meet that time frame, their cargo is drayed to a nearby off-site yard, and stored there, at a cost, for clearance under the normal customs procedure.
The DPD scheme is part of a larger Government effort to lower cargo dwell times at Major Ports and in turn cut inland costs for shippers.
At JNPT, which loads the majority of India’s containerized freight, authorities are working to increase the share of DPD traffic to 30 percent of the port’s overall inbound volume and to facilitate that, terminal gates are open around the clock.
The port’s previous update showed DPD traffic recorded a 34 percent year-over-year rise in October.
In addition, the number of importers able to use the DPD facility has increased to 467 after the customs directorate lifted its minimum volume criteria for the program.
To help streamline rail operations, a common rail yard is in the works at the public harbour.
Thanks to DPD and other ease of doing business measures, especially paperless cargo procedures, the overall average container dwell time at JNPT has been reduced to about 2.5 days from more than 3 days previously.
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