The Lagos State Waterways Authority has disclosed that at least 12million residents of Lagos State used the now-famous waterways transportation between January and July 2013.
The ridership also showed that out of the estimated more than 20million persons currently residing in Lagos, about 1.8million use the waterways to move in and around the city on a monthly basis.
The Lagos State Waterways Authority has disclosed that at least 12million residents of Lagos State used the now-famous waterways transportation between January and July 2013.
The ridership also showed that out of the estimated more than 20million persons currently residing in Lagos, about 1.8million use the waterways to move in and around the city on a monthly basis.
And apparently buoyed by the feat, the State Government has also assured that it will focus more on water transportation development to ease traffic gridlock in the state in 2014.
A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Bisi Yusuf, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos on Tuesday.
Giving an insight into how it will be achieved, he said: “I know that in this coming year the budget we are considering is going to take great consideration for waterways”, adding that, “even Lagos State is attracting a lot of investors into the waterways to employ that very well.
“It is at that such period that you can say that traffic congestion will be reduced to the minimal.` `Because mostly there is no traffic on water. You park and ride, and that is what is done in the world”, he added.
“And that is what Lagos state government is doing and that is where the Ministry of Transportation is just driving at.
“Very soon you will see that traffic congestion will be a thing of the past in Lagos State”, he assured.
But the ridership statistics which was made available to our correspondent, LASWA disclosed that it has recorded an increase of more than 100 percent in three years.
The ridership is a statistical data used by the Lagos State Waterways Authority to monitor the number of commuter sthat use the state waterways to move with Lagos.
From a mere 494,010 ridership in June 2010, the ridership as at July 2013 has gone up to 1.862, 767million, a development that has reduced pressure on the roads.
A further breakdown showed that there has a progressive increase in the number of people that travel by water on a monthly basis.
As at January 2013, a total of 1.103,567 as against 481,745 people in 2012 used the waterways .
For the months of February and March 2013, 1.471,325 and 1.545,183 were recorded respectively, while that month of April saw a total of 1.671225 people using the waterway for that month.
The figures for the months of February, March and April 2012 stood at 892,456, 1.212,768 and 1.560,182 people used the waterways last year.
For May, June, July and August 2013, the figure stood at 1.671,325,1.852,653,1.862,767 and 1.788,370 as against 1.318,372 May 2012, 1.269,754,1.729,712,and 1.135,810 respectively for the period under review.
Vanguard as at the time of filling this report could not get the figures for the months of September, October and November as they result were still being expected from LASWA officials at the various terminals across the state.
The agency projected that ridership could be as high as 2million going by the steady increase of the number of people to have opted to travel by water over the years.
Meanwhile, the state government have concluded plans to commence the concessioning of the four major terminals with a view to providing more efficient and safe water transportation in the state.
Already, investors have expressed and have submitted their bid for that purpose.
On his part, the lawmaker said the usage of the waterways is an effective alternative to land transportation, and government would enlighten the people more on how to use the life jacket.
He said the state government had acquired safety vests for passengers on voyage.
The legislator also said the Ministry of Transportation had bought some ferry boats which could accommodate many passengers.
He also confirmed that government would attract private investors to operate the water transportation system.
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