Lagos State government said on Wednesday, that it had stepped up efforts to clampdown on illegal jetties and boat operators in the state, in a renewed effort to stem the tide of boat mishaps often caused by illegal operations on the inland waterways.
Managing Director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, made this disclosure while speaking with journalists.
According to the LASWA boss, strict enforcement which would be meticulously carried out across the state, would be put in place, adding that the state government would stop at nothing to ensure that operators adhered to the safety standards.
He explained that while the state government was working round the clock to improve the sector for optimal performance, the core objective of LASWA was to ensure that safety, being a key feature of water transportation was not compromised, even as he
declared that the safety of passengers getting on a boat was far beyond wearing life jackets.
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Emmanuel stressed that it was important to also ensure that jetty or boat operators had put other safety measures in place befor embarking on any journey.
Speaking on some of the ongoing efforts to develop water transportation sector, Emmanuel said the state government was working on creating dedicated routes for boat operators, pointing out that plans were ongoing to create at least 30 routes across the state to boost intermodal transportation.
He said four routes were currently being dredged and would be channelised between now and the first quarter of next year, adding that the process would be in phases.
He said the government, after channelisation, would proceed with the upgrading of existing jetties as well as building new ones, explaining that the state currently oversaw 26 jetties spread across the 20 local governments with water guard corps stationed in the jetties to ensure safety.