Castries, St. Lucia – January 10, 2025
In a decisive move to tackle growing traffic congestion and operational inefficiencies around Port Castries, the St. Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture convened a high-level meeting with key stakeholders, including the St. Lucia Air & Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA), the Royal St. Lucia Police Force (RSLPF), and representatives from the trucking sector.
Chaired by Chamber Executive Director Brian Louisy, the discussions focused on balancing efficient port operations with effective traffic management, as heavy truck queues continue to disrupt movement near the port.
SLASPA’s Director of Sea Ports, Adrian Hilaire, outlined the challenges of limited port space, delays in container movement, and congestion affecting vehicle flow. The police emphasized the negative impact of illegal truck parking on city traffic and reinforced their commitment to maintaining order. Truckers, in turn, raised concerns about delays due to restricted queuing options, inefficiencies in container release, and extended waiting times.
Following the robust discussions, the meeting resulted in several immediate and long-term solutions, including:
- Establishing Banan’s Bay as a temporary queuing zone for truckers.
- Exploring night time container collection to ease daytime congestion.
- Designating additional queuing zones in both the north and south of the island.
- Redirecting southern-bound containers to Vieux Fort Sea Port to ease traffic in Castries.
- Improving scheduling systems to minimize wait times and avoid prolonged street queues.
- Fast-tracking container clearance for truckers who meet all requirements.
The Chamber and SLASPA have committed to immediate collaboration on implementing these measures and will also coordinate with the Customs & Excise Department and other government agencies to address broader operational challenges.
As efforts continue to streamline port operations, the Chamber reaffirmed its commitment to working with all stakeholders to develop practical and sustainable solutions that enhance business efficiency and national development.
For further information, contact: Brian Louisy at 423-165 or info@stluciachamber.org.
