The Kingston Freeport Terminal Limited (KFTL) has implemented additional changes to its gate operations following agreements reached during a series of meetings with the key stakeholders involved in the process. The changes took effect Monday, October 2, 2017.

Following a meeting held on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 among KFTL, the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), Port Trailer Haulage Association (PTHA), the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), the Custom Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association of Jamaica (CBFFAJ), and the Jamaica Society of Custom Brokers (JSCB), the following conditions were agreed on and have been implemented.

• Amendments to the Appointment System – KFTL has amended requirements to the current appointment system for the delivery of all import containers. This now sees appointments only being accepted for containers which have been ‘Customs Duty Paid,’ while customers making appointments have to provide proof of this ‘Customs Duty Paid’ status.
• Re-introduction of the former Appointment Penalty System for ‘Missed Appointments’ – two ‘free appointments’ are granted, with a penalty of US$100.00 being imposed for the third missed appointment and an increase of US$100.00 for each appointment made thereafter (i.e. fourth appointment = US$200.00, fifth appointment = US$300.00, etc.)
• Re-assignment of Entry Lanes to the Terminal – entry lanes have been re-allocated to facilitate segregation of trucks according to transaction type. This is expected to help ease the traffic congestion in the area especially during peak periods.
• Re-pavement/Repair of Domestic Loading bays and sections of driveway – repair work has already been completed. In addition, there are clearly marked routes to guide truck operators whilst on the terminal and separate operating lanes have been assigned for Container Handling Equipment and trucks in the loading area.
• Creation of an ‘Express vetting’ window to complement Express Lane – gate staff have been redeployed to facilitate express transactions to ensure maximum efficiency throughout the system.

  Other areas remain under review for subsequent meetings including the extension of the gate operational hours to facilitate increase in ‘seasonal’ volumes as well as the staggering of work hours for Jamaica Customs and PAJ Security. There are also plans to facilitate a change in direction of the fourth lane to facilitate an additional entry lane to the Terminal as well as to engage the National Works Agency (NWA) to change the current direction of the East to West lane.

  Meanwhile, KFTL is also in the process of recruiting additional staff as well as increasing its fleet of equipment to help meet the demands of its operations and ensure greater efficiency.