After years of mounting congestion caused by hundreds of empty containers, Port Castries is finally seeing relief following decisive action to move excess units off-site, restoring smoother cargo flow and easing pressure on transport operators during the busy Christmas shipping season.
The long-standing issue had resulted in traffic backing up into surrounding city streets, lengthy delays for truckers, and disruptions to the movement of goods.
According to Chairman of the Truckers’ Association, Leslie JnBaptiste, the problem stemmed from the sheer volume of empty containers occupying valuable port space.
“We had a challenge when it comes to parking and trucks entering the port,” JnBaptiste explained. “The port, because of the congestion, they were limited in terms of the number of trucks that they could accommodate at one given time.”
He said port officials indicated that container buildup was the core issue. “SLASPA said it is because they have too many containers. So when we did our research, we realized that there were over a thousand empty containers,” he noted.
Those containers, he added, were not being removed quickly enough. “These containers were not being sent out as quick as possible, so it was causing a congestion at Port Castries,” JnBaptiste said.
Following discussions with key stakeholders, a solution was identified. “What was suggested is that we get an off-site storage facility, and as of last week in Cul De Sac we are now storing containers,” he confirmed.
Interim President of the Truckers’ Association, Owen Lionel, said the impact of the new arrangement has already been visible on city roads.
“That has made an improvement in terms of the queuing,” Lionel stated. “I’m sure the public can see that there is no major queuing on the side of the road and causing that congestion on the road.”
He explained that truckers are now able to transport empty containers directly to the off-site location, reducing bottlenecks at the port. “As a result, truckers right now will take those containers from wherever and bring them down to Cul De Sac,” he said.
Lionel added that the efficiency gains extend to port operations. “When the truckers do come back on the line with empty containers, the serving will be much faster, in terms of just come, get your container and leave,” he explained.
The move by the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority is being welcomed by businesses and transport operators alike, as smoother port operations are critical to sustaining trade and economic activity, particularly during the peak holiday shipping period.