MOL starting Singapore/South Africa shuttle

MOL starting Singapore/South Africa shuttle Tokyo-based Mitsui O.S.K. Lines said today that in April it will start a shuttle service between Singapore and Durban to replace discontinued calls at the South African port on the outward voyage of its weekly Asia/South Africa/East Coast South America CSW service, operated in partnership with Singapore's Pacific International Lines.
   MOL will independently operate four ships of about 1,600 to 1,700 TEUs on the South African Express (ZAX), which will increase the Japanese carrier's frequency of service from Durban to Asia by switching from the current 10-day pattern West Africa (WA1) service.
   'This service offers more flexibility in ship scheduling, as well as increased cargo space to better serve Durban's expanding market. The route restructuring also allows MOL to respond more effectively to port congestion at Durban,' MOL said in a statement.
   The revised port rotation of the CSW will be: Kobe, Yokohama, Nagoya, Busan, Shanghai, Yantian, Hong Kong, Singapore, Santos, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Sao Francisco do Sul, Paranagua, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Singapore, Hong Kong and back to Kobe.
   'The upgrade will offer more stable scheduling and faster transit times by eliminating calls at Durban, where port congestion is a constant issue. At the same time, the company will increase space for cargo bound from Asia to the South American east coast, in response to rising demand in that market,' MOL said.