KUCHING: The new Sejingkat-Samarahan Bridge will not spell the end of the Pending Terminal, which remains operational and is being repositioned to handle domestic trade cargo within Sarawak.
Kuching Port Authority (KPA) said the terminal continues to operate at all times, recording 179 ship calls with a throughput of about 217,600 tonnes between January and June this year.
“In addition, Sarawak continues to export live pigs to Singapore and Selangor through the Pending Terminal since November 2017.
“Export throughput is about 14,000 tonnes per year,” it said in a statement.
KPA was responding to recent press and social media coverage on the impact of the new bridge on its terminal operations.
The issue was raised by Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, who questioned the future of the Pending Terminal and claimed that the bridge restricted vessels with an air draft exceeding 26 metres from reaching it.
Chong had said the restriction would limit the terminal’s ability to handle certain bulk cargo and roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessels, accelerating the shift of remaining operations to the Senari Terminal.
He also raised concerns that the Senari Terminal could face bottlenecks as more operations are shifted there while its expansion could take another one or two years.
As such, KPA said the Senari Terminal will be utilised as a multipurpose terminal handling both containers and general cargo as it experiences more ship calls.
The general cargo includes Ro-Ro vehicles, project cargo, wheat, rice, maize, soy and fertilisers.
“The terminal is well positioned to meet market demand by being able to handle increasing cargo volume in Kuching.
“This is in line with the projected GDP growth as per Sarawak’s development plan under Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030,” it said.
KPA said the Senari Terminal is also equipped to handle more Ro-Ro vessels, with its vehicle yard currently accommodating 2,500 units and capacity for another 1,000 units to be added by year-end.
Since January, the terminal has recorded 21 Ro-Ro vessel calls operated by the two main Ro-Ro operators.
KPA said the Sejingkat-Samarahan Bridge would benefit both port terminals rather than diminish their utilisation.
“The bridge will not only ease the traffic in the Kota Samarahan area, but it will also increase the utilisation of both the Senari Terminal and Pending Terminal,” it said.
It added that the Pending Terminal also continues to service federal and Sarawak Coast Guard vessels involved in ensuring maritime security in Sarawak waters.
