Container terminal land-utilisation efficiency in ghana

Abstract

Land-use efficiency is essential in ports, in particular those that are constrained for space and experi-encing congestion. In such situations, ports have been noted to invest in off-dock container yards. This study analysed land use efficiency of four off-dock yards located near the Port of Tema, Ghana’s largest seaport responsible for 85 percent of its trade. The study found that the terminals utilised 0.13 to 0.52 hectares of land, largely influenced by the dwell time and stacking height of containers. It was recom-mended that regulatory agencies need to coordinate better to reduce the time spent on cargo inspection and validation. In addition, terminals may need to incentivise customers to clear their import containers within shorter periods.