Lagos State Waterways Authority records high passengers patronage

Lagos State Waterways Authority records high passengers patronage
Abdul Semiu Babalola

The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) in South West Nigeria said it has recorded increase in passengers taking to water transport with 1.2 million people being ferried across the lagoon every month. 

The Managing Director of LASWA, Mr Yinka Marinho, who stated this during an interview with Voice of Nigeria (VON), attributed the increase to aggressive public enlightenment programme, the provision of more speed boats and safety measures put in place by the authority.

“I can tell you right now that we have 1.2 million passengers that travel the waterway every month. It is an increase over 400,000 we had last year”, Marinho said.

Promoting mega transport system

He said that LASWA was involved in making waterways navigable and promoting public water transportation along with passengers, cargoes and all forms of goods in the state.

 “As we speak, there is a lot of emphasis in terms of building terminals in Ikorodu and Badore. We have jetties all the way to Badagry, all the way to Epe. There is transportation movement from Ikorodu to Marina and Ikorodu to the Five Cowries’ creeks at Ikoyi. From Marina to Ikorodu is between 25 to 30 minutes right now by water, as against 3-4 hours by road”, he explained.

The LASWA Managing Director said the Lagos state government was investing heavily in water transport  by building more floating platforms, terminals, providing bigger boats and encouraging more private participation, as a long term way of decongesting the roads.

“This is a megacity and we have to have a mega transport system and all these are to link up the inter-modal system of transport. The state has planned to link the roads, the rail and the bus. So we are just doing our own part. As we speak there is a dredging going on towards Epe from Ebute –Metta”, Marinho explained.

He described water transport as a means of beating the chaotic traffic jam in the coastal city.

Phobia for water

Phobia for water and the risk of travelling a long distance on the lagoon in the past seems to have discouraged many residents to take to road transport.

However, Marinho has assured passengers of their safety and security on the waterways.

“We have Lagos Water Guards, they ensure that passengers do what is safe and what we consider safe in terms of wearing your life jacket. The first thing everybody should know is that you cannot go through the waterways without life jacket, with it you cannot sink, you will stay afloat and you will be rescued. Safety starts before you board the vessels till when you come off”, Marinho stated.

Shakira/Ekata