The port is on a low-profile drive to become the country’s top seaborne vehicle transit terminal.
Port spokesperson Terry Taylor yesterday said the expansion was essential if it wanted to attract new car imports and exports to the harbour.
“We want to create the extra space to create demand from more car manufacturers to use the port for their exports,” he said.
The new parking bays will be built on the site of a de-commissioned power station that is situated next to the existing closed car terminal in the harbour.
Taylor said that the project will double the amount of open parking available for cars at the harbour.
“We have taken ownership of the power station. It will be demolished, the ground will be hard surfaced and the whole area, which measures 2,3 hectares will be shade-clothed,” he said.
Taylor said the construction will start as soon as capital funds, believed to run into tens of millions of rands, were in place.
“It is critical that we start the project immediately,” Taylor added.
Car imports and exports in South Africa are booming, with the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of SA expecting exports to rise 50,4 percent to 210400 units this year.
Last year, vehicle exports increased 25,8 percent to 139912 units – well above the 1997 figure of 19569 units.
In revenue terms, vehicle exports last year were worth about R20 billion, the motoring body said.
Taylor said the port authority has recently invited car manufacturers and shipping companies to the harbour to create awareness of the service the harbour offers.
“The harbour is ideally suited for the import and export of vehicles and is deep enough to handle any car carrier on the sea at the moment. It has three berths, two of which are situated next to the car terminal,” he said.
The average turn-around time for car uploading and off-loading at the East London terminal is four cars per minute, Taylor said.
In August, East London port’s car terminal was awarded a Noscar rating after it maintained a five-star National Occupational Safety Association rating for three consecutive years.
This is the highest safety, health and environmental status in the country and comes ahead of other car terminals in Durban and Port Elizabeth.
Jai Karson, cargo superintendent of Japanese shipping company MOL’s East London branch said the local port was “the best” when it came to car handling.
“It is more organised. East London harbour could be the perfect main port for car traffic, not only a back-up port,” he said.
He added, however, that the port’s effectiveness had not yet turned into new traffic.
John Reed, Eastern Cape manager of Maersk SA, said that apart from DaimlerChrysler, other car manufacturers have “seriously” looked at East London harbour as their preferred export hub.
EL port plan could create 60000 jobs