Lagos Promises To Make Water Transportation Safer, More Efficient

The Lagos State Government has restated its commitment to sanitizing the water transportation system so as to ensure improved, efficient and safe mode of movement of people and goods on its waterways.

Managing Director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Ms Abisola Kamson in a statement on Sunday said the government had recently embarked on stock taking and repositioning by putting efforts in place to ensure sanity on its waterways that would also prevent mishaps and wanton loss of lives.

Kamson noted that the current operations on the waterways does not conform to the international standard, but the State Government under Governor Akinwunmi Ambode wants to change this.

“Whereas in the quest to sanitize the waterways, government has taken giant steps to start from its home front. It has ordered the Lagos Ferry Services (LAGFERRIES) whose current fleet is not considered water worthy to dispense of them, and prepare to comply with new Guidelines and Standards as issued jointly by the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the LASWA.

“Implicitly, the sanitization and reorganization going on in the water transportation subsector is not limited to private operators alone. It is a cleansing that is aimed at ensuring the total safety of our people. Jetties, Terminal, Ferries and other water related infrastructure that is not worthy would not be allowed. The Ambode’s vision of a new prosperous Lagos is to pursue first class agenda and give Lagosians world class standards,” Kamson said.

Speaking further, Kamson expressed concerns that in recent times, some non-complaint private operators on the waterways had misconstrued moves by the State Government as a ploy to harass and intimidate them out of business and had been peddling unwarranted falsehood, claims, counter claims and litigations in the media.

“It is therefore misplaced and self-seeking for any one, organization, or a group of people to masquerade themselves as messiahs in this direction. Where any organization feels shortchanged in this on-going exercise and has genuine claims, they are advised to lay their claims legitimately and through relevant bodies for redress where appropriate.

This administration is a listening one that remains extremely committed to private sector participation and collaboration in uplifting the development of water transportation in Lagos State,” she said.