CHENNAI: Coastal movement of cars from Chennai has re-commenced with a consignment of 2,000 cars to Kandla on the West Coast.
Hyundai, Renault and Ford cars were loaded on to roll-on roll-off pure car carrier Dresden, which left Kamarajar Port, to the North of Chennai on 24th Sept. with automobiles to Kochi and then to Kandla. For the first time, on a pilot basis, Hyundai is transhipping cars using Coastal Shipping, according to a Senior Official of Hyundai Motor India Limited.
Early this year, around 800 Hyundai cars were sent by Coastal Shipping directly from Chennai Port to Pipavav.
However, this service by a Singapore-based company was discontinued after the first voyage, due to insufficient volume from Chennai and lack of cargo in the return direction making the service unviable.
Mr. MA Bhaskarachar, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Kamarajar Port Limited, who flagged off the Coastal Shipping Service said that Kamarajar Port Limited has offered concessional rate on vessel-related charges for pure car carriers/ro-ro ships in coastal trade to boost Coastal Shipping and facilitate trade.
The discounted tariff on wharfage range from Rs. 500 a unit for cars up to 1,600 CC; Rs. 1,000 for higher capacity cars; and Rs. 2,000 for heavy vehicles. Mr. Bhaskarachar said that Sical Logistics Limited, a third party logistics service provider, has aggregated the cars and plans to have two or three coastal voyages a month between Kamarajar and Kandla Port.
The company has also made arrangements to carry cargo in return direction, he said. Sical was the Steamer Agent, while yard management and stevedoring was done by Ennore Automotive Logistics Limited.
After the first pilot shipment to Pipavav of 800 cars from Chennai Port, Hyundai, was trying to improvise on learnings from the project.
This time the company is working with Sical, who have tied up with other OEM’s to increase the size of the cargo to make this shipment route more viable, according to V Anand, Senior General Manager, Sales, Logistics, Hyundai Motor India Limited.
Sical has tied up with KPL for this pilot project and with other auto OEMS in North and South for a two-way cargo movement.
It has entered into agreements with some companies for general cargo. Of the 1,600 cars transported from Kamarajar Port, around 1,000 were Hyundai cars, he said.
Source: Dailyshippingtimes.com
