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Although total Panama Canal transits decreased 1.9 per cent, to 3,299,
tonnage increased as more large ships used the waterway in the first quarter
of fiscal 2006 - October to December 2005.
According the Panama Canal Authority, transits by vessels 900 feet or more
in length overall increased 11.4 per cent to 643.
Transit time for booked and non-booked vessels dropped. Additionally, net
tonnage and usage of the reservation system increased and official accidents
decreased.
Canal Waters Time (CWT), the average time it takes a vessel to transit the
Canal including waiting time for passage, decreased 16.1% - to 20.57 hours
from 24.51 hours.
"These numbers are a great start to 2006. The reduction in transit time
exemplifies the ACP's commitment to fast and efficient service, without
compromising quality," said ACP Administrator/CEO Alberto Alemán Zubieta.
"Moreover, we're also investing in projects that augment throughput, which
allows us to offer additional booking slots to our customers, thus enhancing
the Canal's reliability."
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