August 20 Marks Operational Halt for Container Transport at Nhava Sheva Port

A voluntary stoppage of vehicle operations will take effect on August 20, 2024, according to container transport operators at Nhava Sheva in Maharashtra. This decision was made in response to persistent problems that members have been facing, such as unfair practices at storage yards and the worsening state of tolled roadways, among other things.

The Container Transporters Association of Nhava Sheva, Maharashtra, decided to remove the vehicles from the road after its president, ‘Pravin Paithankar’, listed many important issues in a letter to the association's members.

Empty container storage yards

The operators have consistently voiced concerns about shipping companies' storage facilities. Members have brought to the attention of the management of these storage yards unfair practices, such as the imposition of different rates for parking, damage, loading and unloading containers, and CPP parking.

The group has requested that the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and the Container Shipping Lines Group (CSLA) order these storage facilities to cease collecting these fees from carriers. Rather than causing the detention of cars, they insist that these costs be collected directly from importers, exporters, or their authorized representatives at the time the delivery order is issued.

Toll-gated highways' road conditions

Additionally, major vehicle damage and prolonged traffic jams that double turnaround times and lower trip averages have been caused by the worsening state of tolled highways, especially on the Gujarat-Nashik and Mumbai-Gujarat routes. In addition to requesting that the toll payments collected be returned to the users' wallet accounts, the association has demanded that toll collections on these routes be suspended as of July 1, 2024.

Misuse of the e-challan process

It has also been brought attention to how traffic cops misuse the e-challan system. Operators claim that rather than implementing justice, the traffic police are misusing the system by applying penalties in enormous quantities. It is said that this practice has caused the traffic police to shift their attention from maintaining orderly traffic flow to focusing on license plate recognition.

By voluntarily ceasing activities, the association hopes to raise awareness of these urgent problems and pursue solutions. To find solutions for our justifiable issues, all members of the Container Transporters Association of Nhava Sheva, Maharashtra, voluntarily decided to remove their vehicles from the road starting on Tuesday, August 20, 2024. This announcement was made to all parties involved in the import and export trade.