BEST* Terminal turns into reality an ambitious project of expanding its hinterland at international level through collaboration with the Port of Bayonne, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in SW France.
The port of Bayonne, historically specialists in bulk, wants to take a step forward in intermodality by implementing a cross-border door-to-door intermodal service. In this way, BEST and the Port of Bayonne have joined forces to offer a new intermodal service to importers and exporters in SW France, through BEST's logistics operator, Synergy, and the transport company GIMEX, based in Navarra (Navarre), Spain.
Trade event on 20 February
Union of the partners of this innovative project will be presented by both parties at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bayonne on 20 February in order to identify potential future users and present the proposal of service offer to the needs of logistics professionals on both sides of the border.
To register
It is understood that the Bayonne Chamber of Commerce, BEST, Synergy and Gimex have inviting shippers, forwarders, logistics companies, transporters, importers and exporters to contact the Sales Management team of the Port of Bayonne for further information and to register for the presentation of the event, either by e-mail at: port@bayonne.cci.fr or by telephone on: +33 05 59 46 58 81.
The port of Bayonne, as a fundamental economic development player in the region, is going to strengthen its logistics offer by using container transport from/to a worldwide market. At the same time, it is an environmentally sustainable logistics hub thanks to the combined use of rail and maritime services thus limiting the impact of the carbon footprint generated.
Experience in intermodal transport by rail that Synergy brings to this framework of collaboration between both ports is undoubtedly a mark of quality and reliability that customers seek in a logistics partner.
By way of example operators’ success stories are its service from BEST to Pamplona, with one daily departure, and the one from BEST to Miranda de Ebro (Burgos), which already has four departures each week, having been in service for a little over a year.
It is reported that added value that these services provide to their clients are: savings of up to eleven days of maritime transit time, offering direct services from Barcelona; and also reliability in the face of the current situation of uncertainty that French ports have been experiencing for several weeks.
*Barcelona Europe South Terminal
Latest News & Events
Our picture shows a Carnival line up. Five Carnival ships are due in Durban in week commencing 24 May. (Photo: www.africaports.co.za )
No less than five Carnival Cruise ships are due to arrive in Durban between 26 and 28 May to take on bunkers and to restock depleted supplies.
These five ships are part of a group of 12 engaged in the humanitarian task of repatriating over 26,000 crew from the Carnival fleet and other companies, as well as personnel from entertainment centres ashore, who because of the coronavirus pandemic, have had their employment suddenly curtailed.
Hotel staff and entertainers
These are the entertainment staff, the onboard shop workers, beauty salon practitioners, waiters and bus boys, chefs and kitchen staff, cabin cleaners, pursers and front desk people all making up the staff working on board cruise ships.
With cruising curtailed these former employees are finally returning home to destinations like India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines after having remained on board their ships for more than two months, unable to go ashore or receive visitors ever since cruising operations were suspended in mid -March. Ahead they face another three or four weeks at sea before being allowed to disembark. However, there’s something of a problem.
Call to governments
IFSMA* calls upon Governments to adopt the ‘Framework of protocols for ensuring safe ship crew changes and travel during the COVID-19 pandemic’ without delay to allow ship owners and management companies to change over their dangerously tired crews.
Governments must act now in order to avoid personal injury to, and mental breakdown of, seafarers and avoid the significant risk of accidents and consequential danger to life and the environment.
Concern at IFSMA
IFSMA is receiving an increasing number of reports from its ship masters’ associations around the world concerned for the welfare and safety of crews and the increased risk with which they are operating in an already high risk environment. Seafarers are feeling let down and abandoned by their Governments.
Unprecedented times
Following concerns from the maritime industry, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) issued a circular to all Member States, the UN and agencies and IGOs and NGOs in consultative status with IMO. This document concerned recommendations to Member States about measures to facilitate ship crew changes in seaports during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IMO Secretary General has received a framework of protocols for ensuring safe ship crew changes and travel during the pandemic, proposed by a cross-section of global industry associations in consultative status with the IMO, for example: ICS, IAPH, BIMCO, IFSMA, and P&I Clubs as well as the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
