Spanish haulage firms in Algeciras have warned of a mounting traffic jam of Moroccan trucks after port authorities restricted access to container and general cargo movements, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded as storms disrupt crossings across the Strait of Gibraltar.
The Algeciras Bay Container Hauliers Association, known by its Spanish acronym ATCBA, which represents 37 companies and operates a fleet of more than 1,000 lorries, said the port was becoming a holding pen for trucks arriving from Morocco’s Tangier Med.
It blamed a decision by the Algeciras Bay Port Authority, APBA, to close the port to container and general cargo transfers from 6pm, a move it said blocks local hauliers from work while Moroccan vehicles remain stuck inside the terminals.
Diego Pineda, the association’s president, told local media the measure was paralysing operators and risking a breakdown of logistics at one of Spain’s busiest gateways. Moroccan trucks, he said, cannot wait on the Moroccan side because they arrive by ship, forcing them to remain in Algeciras while paperwork and border checks are processed.
The group said queues were forming inside the port and on access roads as parking areas filled up. Trucks from Tangier Med were being held on the quays during customs procedures and border control inspections, a process that takes time and which, the association said, the port system cannot absorb under current conditions.
ATCBA also warned that two key container terminals, TTI Algeciras and APM Terminals, would remain closed on Tuesday and Wednesday as a precaution because of bad weather, potentially extending the bottleneck.
The APBA restrictions follow a weekend of cancelled sailings between Morocco and Spain caused by Storm Ingrid, with another system, Storm Joseph, forecast to hit maritime transport this week. Spanish media reported that on Tuesday morning the port limited entry to heavy goods vehicles with a confirmed booking, as authorities sought to manage continuing disruption.
In a related move, Moroccan authorities have temporarily closed Tangier Med from Tuesday morning until further notice, according to sources cited by Hespress, because of strong winds and waves reaching about five metres. More cancellations remain likely today.
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