The Hong Kong Container Tractor Owner Association Limited has provided the following list of the depots that are collecting/not collecting the fee on 1st April 2008.
Depots that are collecting/not collecting the In/Out Depot Management Fee (進/出場 管理費)
| 要求收費的外圍場 |
沒有收費的外圍場 |
永康D |
新霸D |
內河新智 |
內河宏豐 |
流浮山鴻利達 |
潤發 |
思信A |
內河三井 |
思信B |
|
流浮山寶洋E |
|
裕豐 |
|
COSCO C場 |
|
As per April 1st, our market assessment shows the following shipping lines have not charged a depot fee nor has it affected their services:
(a) Maersk Line
(b) MOL Line
(c) Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM)
(d) OOCL
Disruptions in service since April 1st include the following:
- Not processing shipping documents (haulage order) and asking truckers to wait.
- Turning away truckers and asking them to queue again.
- Delay in passing out container seals to truckers even though containers have been placed on chassis.
- Truckers are asked to wait “until clearance with shipping line”.
- Truckers are asked to sign a “loan” slip specifying that such charge will have to be paid on next visit.
With the Transport and Housing Bureau as facilitator, shippers, shipping lines and truckers met on April 2nd to discuss the above issues and the new charge.? Some shipping lines want to detach themselves from the new charge, insisting that it is their depot operators and not themselves that are levying the charge. Accordingly, the Council made the following proposal to shipping lines:
(a) Prepare a notice to their client (i.e. shippers) that shippers need not pay extra fee for collection/delivery of empty containers at the outside depots they use
(b) State their service commitment such as collection/delivery of container within 20 minutes, etc, on the notice
(c) Provide a Customer Service Hotline number on the notice where truckers can call and get immediate response in case of disputes at the depots
(d) Place that notice at the gates of their depots.
The Council has written to 23 major shipping lines with the above stipulations. The Council also issued a circular to members advising what steps shippers could take:
(a) Choose shipping lines that are not imposing depot fees.
(b) Ask for service commitment and hotline number upon booking or making appointment for inbound shipments.
(c) Demand collection/delivery of empty containers at Kwai Tsing container terminals.
(d) Issue letters of complaint to shipping lines if difficulties continue to be encounted at depots.
(e) Report the cases to the Council.
We have also told shippers that they should be aware that when using outside depots such as those in the New Territories, a shipping line can make savings from lower storage and handling costs. However, this means that their client, the shipper, would spend more with the trucking fees. Another issue is that services at outside depots are also much inferior, such as early closing time of 5 p.m. while Kwai Tsing container terminals provide the standard around-the-clock service. These are the reasons why we cannot see any justifications to the new charge, the depot fee.
Hong Kong Container Depot & Repairer Association Ltd (CDRA) announcement and list of members
HKSC letters:
1. CDRA 1 & 2
2. Shipping lines 1 2 3
3. Circulars to members
Shipping line replies
Industry comments
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