Stevedores were incensed this morning after the Customs Department refused to open a secondary gate at the Freeport to allow trailers a more efficient clearance rate.

This morning marked the first call at the Freeport of the Italian shipping company Grande Navi Veloci, which is offering a roll-on-roll-off trailer service.

The ship, La Superba, docked at around 5am and left port at around 10.30am after it offloaded the trailers. This is the first time such a service is being offered from the Freeport.

Paul Abela, president of the GRTU Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises, which represents stevedores, said Customs refused to open a gate that was situated some 50 metres away from where the ship berthed.

It is the Customs Department that determines which gates can be opened and not the Freeport operators.

As a result, trailers had to travel across the Freeport terminal to exit from the same gate as container trucks, causing unnecessary tail-backs on the quayside.

“They knew the ship was entering port but Customs did not provide the manpower to operate a secondary gate that would have made for a more efficient clearance process for trailers,” Mr Abela complained.

He called on the situation to be rectified and the Customs Department to provide the adequate number of personnel to man the secondary gate.