Port of Felixstowe to start charging for vehicle bookings


The Port of Felixstowe has alerted users that it is to introduce a vehicle booking charge from 10 March 2014.

The vehicle booking system (VBS) fee will affect peak afternoon hours, between 1200-1700, and stand at £1.50 per VBS booking.

VBS is a mandatory, web-based appointment system to be used by all hauliers wishing to collect and/or deliver containers at the Port of Felixstowe.


It is designed to reduce the effect of the ‘peaks and troughs’ of hauliers arriving at the port during certain hours of the day.

The charge will just affect hauliers, and is said to be “an indirect consequence of shipping lines not paying enough for service in the first place,” according to a haulier at the port.

The amount is a mitigated level than the port was proposing to charge, and will be limited to afternoon access only.

Commercial director, Hutchison Ports UK Ltd, Paul Wallace said: “We now believe it is the right time to raise this issue again and trust that the haulage community value the significant concession made previously, especially since other major UK ports have continued to charge for access, and through both morning and afternoon peak periods.”

Originally the port suggested charging £2 per booking from 1300-1800 peak hours. The morning peak hour charge was suspended as a “voluntary gesture”.

The port explained that there is a significant cost to increase the yard resource (RTG/Gates) to service daily demand during the peak haulage hours for all UK major ports.

The issue was raised several years ago but was not implemented; the poor economic climate was cited as a reason.


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