Truck Shortage At Lyttelton Serious

Press, Volume C, Issue 29517, 19 May 1961, Page 13

Truck Shortage At Lyttelton Serious

A serious shortage of railway trucks at Lyttelton stopped all discharge of cargo at 5 p.m. yesterday. Four of the 11 ships dischaigmg were able to switch to loading, howex er, but even so. the truck shortage makes the position at Lyttelton difficult.

Almost 600 waggons were needed, but only 450 were available," said the Railways district traffic manager (Mr E. C. Brittenden), yesterday. There were about 680 waggons in the yards waiting to be unloaded, he said.

Vessels affected by the ban on cargo discharge were the Dominion Monarch. the coaster Maranui. the phosphate vessel. Cape Wrath, the overseas liner, Sussex, the coaster. Konini, and the freighter. Komata. Ships which changed over to loading were the Eastern Argosy, the Kowa Maru. and two Union Company intercolonial vessels, the' Waimea ar.d the Kaituna, Three ships were idle yesterday, and have been so since their arrival the coasters. Poranui and River City, and the inter-colonial motor-vessel. Babinda. Normal work on the steamer express, Maori, was not affected. Two more ships have been diverted from Lyttelton. They are the City of Khartoum. with Canadian cargo to discharge, and the Dutch freighter, Friesland, which will discharge all her Lvt-

telton cargo (from Western Europe', at Timaru. The Friesland is the vanguard of a new direct Continental service from Western Europe, and this diversion will cause disappointment to shippers and importers. In the case of the City of Khartoum, it is thought she may call at Lyttelton later. Shipping traffic was slight at Lyttelton yesterday, the only movements being the arrival and departure of the steamer express, Maori, the departure of coastal tanker, the Tanea (neither of which were directly affected by congestion) and the departure of the small coaster. Motu. Two large vessels, the Port Melbourne, bound for Dunkirk, and the Port Dunedin, for Dunedin, will create berthage space when they sail today This should allow the Norwegian motorship. Simara. and the Japanese freighter. Susei Maru, to enter the harbour. Three Union Company freighters, the Waimea, Kaituna and Konini may also sail today, which would provide further relief. The Dutch vessel. Van Neck, and the British motorship. G’anely. which had to vacate her berth recently, should be the only vessels anchored in the stream by this evening. Vessels due this week-end are the Dutch cargo vessel. Schouten, the Federal liner Cumberland, the Eastern trader. Wairata. and the Norwegian freighter Reinholt. All have cargo to discharge. Nearly 270 men ' were needed to fill the required labour quota on the waterfront yesterday morning, and many vessels reinforced existing labour with crew gangs. The ban on overtime discharging released labour to replace the crew gangs in the evening. The secretary of the Port Employers’ Association at Lyttelton (Mr W. L. Sillars) said that he could see no likelihood of the congestion problem easing for a week. Mr Brittenden thinks that the shortage of trucks will be eased next week, when some waterside workers will be loading meat into the Dominion Monarch. In addition. work in the railways sheds will be continued during the week-end to unload as many waggons as possible.