OTAL upgrades its West African shipping services

OT Africa Line (OTAL) has announced a number of developments to its West African ro-ro and container services designed to give customers access to a greater number of ports. The changes will also provide improved transit times and more frequent sailings to ensure even more extensive transport coverage of the trade to and from this region.

OTAL continues to operate its established multipurpose ro-ro service but with the addition of a restructured improved all-round schedule called the 'Express Service'. Four multipurpose ro-ro/container vessels - Kumasi, Kintampo, Katia, and Kagoro - will be utilised to provide sailings every 11 days (previously 13 days) catering for general cargo, containers, project cargo loads, and rolling stock.

With a new additional call to the port of Luanda in Angola, OTAL can now offer a fast transit of only 12 days from Lisbon and six days from Dakar to Luanda. OTAL also offers a service to Lobito, Angola on inducement.

The Express Service will call at the North European ports of Amsterdam, Teesport, Hamburg, Antwerp and Lisbon before calling at the African ports of Dakar (Senegal), Luanda (Angola), Onne - Port Harcourt (Nigeria), Lagos - Tin Can (Nigeria), Takoradi (Ghana) and San Pedro (Cote d'Ivoire).

Rachel Bennett, OTAL's marketing manager, comments:

"These service improvements are part of a continuing programme to broaden our coverage of the West African coast, whilst enabling us to optimise deployment of our tonnage and range of ports served.

"OTAL has strengthened its position by offering a fast, regular and reliable service to Angola embracing the oil and gas sector as well as general and containerised cargo."

The 'Combined', 'Ro-Ro South' and 'Weekly' services will continue to run as advertised.