In June, the port confirmed that Maersk Sealand ad signed a long-term user contract with the terminal and would immediately schedule five calls a week at the port on three of its linehaul services. These comprise east and westbound visits on its AE5/TP6 pendulum link connecting US West Coast ports, Asia and Europe, eastbound only calls on the AE1 loop between northern Europe/Scandinavia and Asia, and east and westbound service on the carrier's dedicated South East/Mid-East operation. Ships of between 2,500 TEU and 6,600 TEU will be used.

Initially, Maersk Sealand will handle mainly local cargo destined for/originating from southern this area will benefit enormously from the direct services, owing to significantly lower transports costs that those available from either trucking and/or feeder service over Singapore and/or Port Klang.

However, given PTP's strategic location and its lower user tariffs, especially compared with Singapore, third country relay cargo is likely to be loaded/discharged by the carrier in the future.

Maersk Sealand's decision to offer regular services to/from PTP follows several months of study in which the Danish carrier routed various ships via the port as a means of testing the facility's systems and capabilities.

Also in June, PTP secured the West Asia Express service operated by APL. This operation uses 4 x 4,158TEU ships in a fixed-day weekly loop connecting a range of ports in East/South East Asia and Indian Sub-Continent/Mid-East. APL will continue to also schedule direct calls at Singapore.

Like Maersk Sealand, APL's senior management has been carrying our regular reviews of PTP and in May 2000 Flemming Jacobs, CEO of the Singapore headquartered line, led an executive delegation to the port. It is though that further services will be routed to/from PTP in the future.

'We have a strong focus on enhancing our services and that includes serving port such as PTP,' said an APL official.

Although PTP is aiming to be South East Asia's premier transhipment hub, Mohd Sidik Shaik Osman, CEO of the port stressed that his initial target was the more that 200,000 TEU moved annually between Singapore and Pasir Gudang (East Johor) by feederships.

'The other cargo sector we are targetting is cargo currently trucked to Singapore across the causeway, which amounts to approximately 900 laden lorries daily, Principally, these originate from northern Malaysia (Penang) and Johor,' he said.

Currently, PTP has three berths and nine superpost-Panamax cranes in service. Once the first phase development programme is completed in mid-2001, the port will have six berths totalling 2.16km. Since its soft opening in October 1999, the terminal has handled more that 62,000 TEU.