Port of Felixstowe makes VBS changes

The Port of Felixstowe is making changes to its vehicle booking system (VBS) as of Sunday 14 February in a bid to relieve congestion for hauliers arriving on site.

A statement released by the port says congestion at the port from 5am onwards has been caused by its "current generosity of arrival tolerances" within the VBS.

From Sunday hauliers booked for 5am in-gates will not be let into the site until 5am.

"The Port has little/no control over the arrival congestion," say the port. "As we have no certainty in relation to when hauliers are due to arrive during these times our ability to offer a service, as well as control congestion is limited."

It adds that in order to permit night shunting operations some flexibility has to remain, which results in the following changes for VBS.

• Bookings between 11pm and 4am will be able to be in-gated from 11pm up until 4.59am.
• Any outstanding bookings, yet to be in-gated, from between these times will be timed out as a no show at 5am.
• Bookings for 5am will commence from 5am only and expire at 6.30am
• Bookings from 6am onwards will have the usual tolerances of plus or minus 30 minutes.

More than 4,000 HGV drivers visit the Port of Felixstowe every day and 40% of these arrivals occur within a daily six-hour period. VBS booking became mandatory for all hauliers arriving at the Port between 5am and 7am, and 1pm and 7pm, in January 2008.