Taicang Port, in cooperation with Shanghai Port, recently opened a shuttle marine route between Taicang Port and Yangshan Port. The first 250 TEU barge, Jihai Zhiquan, belonging to Shanghai Changjiang Shipping Corp, set sail from Taicang to Yangshan Port on July 21.

The shutte service between Taicang Port and Yangshan Port opened on July 21. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Taicang Port, located on the south bank of the Yangtze River estuary, is an artery port for river and sea transportation, as well as the main port of the Shanghai International Shipping Center.

After the start of a strategic cooperation between Taicang and Shanghai last year, the two ports co-established the Taicang Port Shanggang Zhenghe Container Terminal Co this year, to manage two of Taicang's container berths. The shuttle service is another cooperation project.

Eight barges will be put into use, and liners will sail 21 shifts a week, eight hours per shift, to provide a high efficiency, low cost and safe logistics service. The shuttle service features fixed times, routes, barges and prices.

The regular barges are managed by FA, a professional dispatching center that controls domestic feeder lines. FA manages, dispatches and monitors the barges and containers to ensure quality freight.

The shutte service between Taicang Port and Yangshan Port opened on July 21. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In the meantime, all the shuttle barges are monitored by an online monitoring system that allows customs authorities at both ports and companies to get real-time information about container cargoes.

The two ports also plan to integrate customs clearance in Taicang city in order to speed up cargo clearance. Based on the agreement, if import and export companies need to send cargo between Taicang Port and Yangshan Port, they can go through customs in Taicang, without having to rush over to Yangshan Port for cargo clearance. Integrating customs clearance will provide economic benefits to Taicang and southern areas of Jiangsu province.

Foreign trade containers from the upper regions of the Yangtze River are now being transited at Taicang Port, instead of the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Bonded Logistics Zone. This will increase the port's throughput by 600,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent unit) each year, and help import- and export-oriented enterprises reduce logistical costs by 300 million yuan ($48.61 million).

The shutte service between Taicang Port and Yangshan Port opened on July 21. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Compared to highway transportation, waterway transport features environmental protection and low traffic pressure. A container truck can carry no more than two 20GP (30 cubic meters) containers, while a barge can transit 100-200 containers.

Road transportation results in major problems such as high costs and low efficiency in logistics, traffic congestion and air pollution. According to experts, waterway transport will cut carbon dioxide emissions by 88 percent compared with highway transport and 33 percent compared with rail transport. Also, waterway transport can help save land resources and investment costs by 67 percent.

The shuttle service will further boost the development of Taicang Port. The area aims to serve as an engine for regional economic transformation, as well as for the development of the Yangtze River Delta. It will continue with reforms, cooperate with neighboring ports, accelerate economic development and speed up the transition of the industry-led and multi-functional integrated region.