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Lagos to take full advantage of water to decongest roads -Sanwo-Olu

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IBRAHIM QUADRI

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said on Tuesday that the State would take full advantage of its water to achieve inter-modal transport system as a way of decongesting the roads.

The Governor made the promise during the commercial launch of LAGFERRY operation, mobile app and 14 new boats at Badore Ferry Terminal, Ajah Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu who adorned the uniform attire of LAGFERRY captains, also sailed from Badore Terminal to Falomo as a way of encouraging Lagosians of the safety of the new operation.

According to the Governor, “With capacity of each of the new boats to ferry 40 to 60 passengers at a go, the ferry boats we are launching today will commute passengers from Ikorodu, Ebute Ero, CMS, Badore, and Ikoyi amongst other routes.

“Let me emphasize that these boats were constructed here by our local builders and they come with state of the art technology you can find anywhere else in the world. We are proud of this feat and I am using this medium to once again assure our local builders of patronage and urge them to continue to maintain international best standard.

“Let me use this opportunity to assure that we have put in place adequate measures to ensure safety on our waterways through the empowerment of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) to effectively discharge its monitoring and regulatory duties. In the same vain, we will also sustain cordial relationship with federal regulatory agencies including Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).

“We are fully committed to increase investment in the development of more routes on the water ways, construction of more jetties and provision of more modern ferry boats.

“There is room for more private sector participation in water transportation as we continue to provide more facilities and ensure full compliance with safety regulations.

“Let me emphasize that intermodal transportation is the way to go given our natural endowment, increasing population and the need to ensure efficient movement of materials, goods, services and people. By the time the Lagos light rail project becomes effective and expanded, coupled with renewed efforts to improve water transportation in addition to numerous on-going roads development projects across the State, it is expected that a more robust public transportation would evolve in the State and Lagosians would be the better for it,” he assured.

“It is glaring that for Lagos to be a functional smart city that we desire, there must be diversification of the mode of transportation. There must be interconnectivity of the rail, road and water transportation systems.

“However, the narrative of water transportation in Lagos State is set to change as we are set to take full advantage of the water bodies that nature has endowed us with, to decongest our roads and substantially reduce travel time, promote a healthy environment through reduction of carbon emission.” he said.

The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Frederick Oladehinde said, “it is another giant stride of the transport reform in the State.

“We planned to deploy all our fourteen (14) available ferries to cover the three (3) senatorial zones immediately from these routes of;  Ikorodu – Ebute Ero/Elegbata – CMS/Marina, Ikorodu – Five Cowries Ferry Terminal (Falomo, Ikoyi.), Badore – Addax Jetty (Victoria Island), Five Cowries Ferry Terminal (Falomo, Ikoyi), Ebute Ojo – Ijegun Egba – CMS/Marina, Mile 2 – Liverpool (Apapa) – CMS/Marina, Badore – Ijede,” Oladehinde disclosed.

In his welcome address, the Managing Director of Lagos Ferry Services, Mr Ladi Balogun who identified some of the lagoons in the State noted the government harnesses them in line with traffic situation.

In his words, “This government is fully committed to harness the role these lagoon plays and is capable of playing in the management of traffic and transportation, which incidentally is the first pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S development agenda of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

“Lagos State is littoral in topography; all her five administrative divisions are accessible through the water ways. For instance, it is possible to access Badagry, the West end of the State from Epe, the far East end by ferry boats traversing Ikorodu, Lagos and Ikeja Divisions in the process.

“Before the construction of roads leading to the mainland, water transportation was the prominent means of commuting in Lagos. Imported merchandise for distribution into the hinterlands and local produce designated for Lagos onward journey overseas were conveyed on the waterways.

“With over thirty jetties, there is no reason why Lagos should not diversify its mode of transportation. For instance, it takes less than seven minutes to cross from Ijede in Ikorodu to Badore while from Baiyeku to Langbasa it is about fifteen minutes. The journey of about two and half hours on a good day from Ipakodo to Ikoyi takes less than sixty minutes from the Ipakodo Ferry Terminal,” Balogun added.

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