Independent truckers on the island of Grand Bahama are protesting a change in the trucking policy that Mediterranean Shipping Co. plans to put into effect on Sept. 20, which they say will adversely affect their business.

The truckers said MSC, which transships many of its U.S.-bound containers at Freeport on the island, has issued a notice that it plans to increase the charge for local delivery of containers from the port from $120 to $295 and that “MSC proposes to give only one trucking service the exclusive right to move those containers at a price which they will set.”

At a press conference with Bahamian senators on Thursday, independent truckers and the politicians accused MSC of seeking to enter the trucking business by threatening to monopolize the container movements in and out of Freeport, which they said is reserved by law for Bahamians.

Bahamian importers “will no longer be able to choose who will move their goods out of the container port,” the truckers and senators said in a statement at the press conference.

They called on the Bahamas Government, and the Grand Bahama Port Authority to enter the dispute and “stop MSC from doing what it proposes.”
(Source:www.joc.com)