The biggest bus boarding in the history of the Port of Paranaguá takes place this Friday (13th). In a single batch, the Maestro Universe ship carries 155 units. Public transport vehicles will be taken to the ports of Boma, in Congo, and Luanda, in Angola. The forecast is that he will leave for Africa in the early afternoon. The trip should take between 10 and 13 days to the destinations.
“These large shipments are very representative for the Ports of Paraná. To be chosen by a large national manufacturer for the shipment of its products indicates the high degree of efficiency of port management ”, says the Director of Operations for Portos do Paraná, Luiz Teixeira da Silva Júnior.
He points out that the Port of Paranaguá has a physical structure that makes it possible to receive and position large quantities of these vehicles, within the bonded area. “With complete security, allowing for a more agile operation”, he says.
According to Teixeira, these would be the main attractions of the Port of Paranaguá for large shipments of buses. “We also offer users a safe maritime infrastructure, with permanent maintenance of access channels, berths and clear rules for programming, docking and operation,” adds Teixeira.
This transparency, he says, allows the customer to price the entire operation and, from there, make the best decisions. “In addition to these factors, we also have the quality of manpower, the responsibility of the port operator, which allows, in addition to agility in shipment, almost zero damage rates”, he explains.
OPERATION – This is the second in an export batch closed by the Marcopolo company with countries on the African continent. In the first, carried out in the last month of October, 110 buses were shipped, which were also taken to the port of Boma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
This time, in addition to the carmaker’s own vehicles, 31 Caio buses (Apache model, Man chassis) also make up the cargo. These go to Luanda, as well as 14 other Marcopolo Torino (also Man chassis). 110 Marcopolo Torino buses (Volvo chassis) will go to Congo. These Volvo chassis were produced in Curitiba.
The Maestro Universe is a Ro-ro ship, specifically for transporting vehicles (rolling loads). This vessel measures 160 meters long and 22 meters wide. However, the difference is the height of the four decks available for this transport. This vessel supports both the height of each bus and the total weight of the closed lot.
According to Gilberto Lima, director of Wasa Projects and Logistics, the company responsible for the project of bus shipments to West Africa and for the arrival of Ro-ro ships to the Port of Paranaguá, confidence in the port operator and in the port of Paraná were decisive for the operation was at the Paraná terminal.
“Paranaguá is a central port. Furthermore, the cost, by far, is the best of all. So, I can say that the port’s practicality, location and price contributed 100% to develop this project here ”, says Lima.
Also according to the company’s director, the ship Maestro should stay on the line (Paranaguá – Africa) at least until mid-2021. The forecast, therefore, is for new shipments to Brazilian ports, mainly Paranaguá.
“There are new projects in focus, with very good prospects for Angola and countries like Côte d’Ivoire and most of the French-speaking countries in Africa are buying a lot of buses. And we have the possibility to insure a good portion of them. We hope so and that they will come to the Port of Paranaguá ”, completes Lima.
NUMBERS – In 2019, 588 buses were exported. The destinations were the ports of Acajutla, Benin, Cameroon, Caucedo, Djbouti, Douala, Ghana, Hamad, Luanda, Manzanillo, Limon, Quetzal, Santo Domingo, Santo Tomas and Tema.
This year, with this last departure, 543 buses were exported to destinations in the ports of Acajutla, Boma, Callao, Jebel Ali, Manzanillo, Limon, Santo Domingo, Tema, Veracruz, Zarate, Santo Tomas and Luanda.
This Friday (13th) departure breaks the mark reached by the export of a single batch of 130 buses, shipped last July on the Ulusoy 5, bound for Luanda, Angola. New shipments are scheduled for mid-December, this year, and January 2021.
OPERATOR – The cargo operator is the company Marcon, which has been operating since 1964 in the Port of Paranaguá. The company has been handling vehicles for import and export since the beginning of the structuring of this operational modality.
According to the operator, they are recognized by the automotive industries and by the shipowners who carry out the maritime transport of vehicles for their productivity indicators (vehicles loaded / unloaded per hour) and for the low rate of damage, being today a reference among national and international ports.
Source: Portos do Paraná
