As part of
efforts to ensure passengers safety on Lagos waterways, the Elegushi of Ikate
Kingdom, Oba Saheed Elegushi and members of the Rotary Club of Lagos at
separate events made donations of life jackets to the Lagos Ferry Services
(LAGFERRY).
In his remarks
during the presentation of the life jackets at the Five Cowries Terminal Ikoyi,
the Lagos Monarch, represented by the Aro Oba of Ikate Kingdom, Chief Olalekan
Bakare, stated that the gesture was intended by the king to complement the
government's efforts to ensure the safety of boat passengers and ease pressure
on transportation by road.
He said:
"It is obvious what the administration of Mr. Governor and the Managing
Director of LAGFERRY are doing with the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda in making sure that
they ease transportation in Lagos State. The time is very ripe for us to be
exploring our waterways and decongesting the road".
While
informing that water transportation is still the best, fastest and safest means
of alternate transport, he commended the State government for ensuring
compliance to waterways safety regulations of compulsory wearing of life
jackets and operating at regulated hours.
Similarly,
the representative of the Rotary Club of Nigeria, Rotarian Tosin Olabintan,
during the donation of 40 life jackets to the Agency, stated that many
commuters go through a lot of stress on the road daily while commuting from
their home to their places of work, adding it is not healthy to inhale the
smoke coming out of vehicles during traffic gridlock for many hours on some
roads.
"It is
in view of this that the State Government has provided an alternative to
citizens of Lagos State to travel on Waterways, which is healthier than plying
the roads. Water transportation is faster and less stressful because in a couple
of minutes you have reached your destination as there is nothing like a traffic
jam", he said.
Olabintan
urged ferry operators to ensure that all their passengers put on life jackets
before using the ferry, promising that the gesture would be extended to other
ferry stations.
In his
response, the Managing Director, LAGFERRY, Mr. Abdoulbaq Ladi-Balogun, said the
support of more companies would further encourage water transportation to
enable them decongest the traffic on the road.
He said
that the commitment and passion displayed by the Rotary Club and the
Traditional Ruler would enable the management to be proactive in its duties
saying, "We sincerely appreciate the life jackets donated by Oba Elegushi
and the Rotary Club of Nigeria. The gestures have shown that people are really
watching our operation".
Ladi-Balogun
said that LAGFERRY had never been involved in any water accident since two
years of operation, adding that the support via the donations would reinforce
the fact that the government prioritises safety in the Agency’s daily
operations.
While
encouraging other Monarchs and Corporate organisations to key into the laudable
initiatives, the Managing Director informed that before the commencement of
LAGFERRY operations, the contribution of water transportation in Lagos stood at
0.8 per cent, but it has now increased to 3.8 per cent.
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