With the potential of a premier transhipment hub fully realised by lines, several regional common feeders have expressed keen interest to begin services at PTP by year end, PTP said in a statement.

QC Container Line will be starting its Chittagong service at PTP soon. Other regional feeders in current discussions to begin soon include Bengal Tiger (BTL), Orient Express Line (OEL) and Myanma Five Star Line (MFSL).

These feeders will joint Kimtrans and MCC Transport in the increasingly g2rowing network of service at PTP.

“ The securing of a comprehensive feeder network has been a crucial goal in PTP’s efforts to secure its position as South-East Asia’s premier transhipment hub. The main lines confidence in PTP is now backed by a growing number of feeders expressing their keen interest to enjoy immediate growth opportunities in a new market and the early bird incentives that PTP is now offering to feeders,” the port said.

PTP’s goal is to provide lingkages to all main regional ports. This will also assist port efforts in talks with other main lines for services in year 2001.

Phase 2 expansion plans have also been a crucial factor in attracting lines where PTP has already embarked on early design of an additional 3-6 berths for Phase 2.

Phase 2 will be a liner extension to the present 2.16km of wharf at PTP. Completion of Phase 2 is initially targeted at end 2002/early 2003 and will ensure the viability of PTP’s facilities and advantages to main lines towards the future.

On throughput goals, PTP has moved closer to its goal of achieving 450,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) by year-end with the high of 86,227 TEUs in October 2000. About 90 per cent of the throughput handled was transhipment cargo at 78,000 TEUs.

With October 2000 seeing a record of 86,227 TEUs and throughput to date in year 2000 at 257,962 TEUs

Transhipment boxes currently makes up 85 per cent of the total throughput. Total vessel calls from January to October 2000 are 567 with 89 vessels in October 2000 itself.

With the services now well established, PTP is now focusing on increasing local cargo by reaching out to exporters in the Jurong and Tuas areas in Singapore, which is located just minutes away from PTP and also exporter in Johor and Malacca areas.

PTP’s currently throughput boost is largely due to strong support from present main line services. Maersk present main line services. Maersk Sealand is currently in midst of shifting its transhipment hub to PTP from Singapore.

Present Maersk Sealand calls at PTP include 10 weekly calls to US/Europe, Far East, Intra-Asia, Mediterranean, including three feeder services to Laem Chabang, Jakarta and Malaysian port’s.

Apart from that, PTP also has Mitsui OSK’s Japan/Hong Kong Straits service reaching out to exporters to the Far East, APL-NOL’s West Asia Express and K-Line’s joint service call with Maersk Sealand to New Zealand and Australia.