MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The Port of Mossel Bay will soon have a newly resurfaced road and parking spaces between Port Entrance number 1 and the Mossel Bay Yacht and Boat Club premises, an area known as the recreational area where restaurants and other tourist attractions are located. 

This R12.7million capital investment falls in line with the provisions of the National Ports Act 2005, which mandates Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) as the owner, manager, controller and administrator of ports to ensure the Port’s efficient and economic functioning, through planning, providing, maintaining and improving of port infrastructure.

Timeframes
The ageing state of the road has seen various maintenance repairs over the years. The pavement has however reached a state of disrepair that necessitates a major road upgrade. 

The site establishment commenced in January 2021 and the construction is planned for completion before December 2021 festive season.

Mossel Bay Port Manager, Shadrack Tshikalange said: “Customer satisfaction and the improvement of port facilities forms part of TNPA’s core functions and as one of the key role players in the port system, we to ensure that we provide the best service to our customers, port visitors and stakeholders. The intention is to resurface the area and formalize the parking space, will lead to attracting and catering for an increased number of Port visitors."

As part of the envisioned outcomes of the project, a total of 115 vehicle parking bays will be created.

Contribution to tourism
Following the devastating impact of Covid-19 on the Tourism Sector, the enhancement and beautification of the area will provide Mossel Bay with an opportunity to amplify its efforts to market the region as a tourist destination of choice. This could lead to an increased tourist footprint, not only in the Port of Mossel Bay but within the Garden Route.

Other upgrades
The existing sewer system in the port has also been experiencing an increased amount of pressure over the years due to the increasing number of local visitors and tourists, especially during the holiday season. 

In order to ensure that favourable visitor experience is created and maintained during busiest time of the year, port management decided to include the upgrade of the sewer system as part of this project.

"The commencement of the project gives us great joy. The planning of the project has been quite extensive and involved various departmental representatives in the port in order to ensure that it runs smoothly, and we will try our best to ensure that it adheres to the set timeframes. Our number one priority is to ensure that the port is not only regarded as one of the country’s top tourist destinations of choice but also as a great contributor to the growth of the economy. This can only be achieved by improving port infrastructure, customer excellence and creating the best visitor experience in the port," concludes Port Engineer, Gert Ludick.

'We bring you the latest Mossel Bay, Garden Route news'