Dipo Olayoku (Media Consultant)
We are yet to get there as regards safety on our inland water transportation, but it is important to note that the necessary facilities must be on ground for the passengers and the earlier we realize the fact that safety is paramount in all that we do the better for the users. Before now, we don’t have safety jackets for passengers, but gradually things have changed and we are now appreciating the fact that life jackets are of essence.
Capt. John Forcados (Sea cat Ferry)
There is indeed safety on our inland waters and the truth is that accidents occur when most the passengers are adamant to use their life jacket. The life jacket given to some of the passengers are not worn by them, but navigation on water is safe, we hardly record cases of mishap on our waters, except for the people that patronize wooden canoes and boats. I think the government has to monitor the activities of the water transporters that use the smaller wooden boats on the inland waters, because they sometimes carry more than what is expected of the boat.
Daniel Gbenga (Ferry staff)
The Lagos terrain is safe, only that the wooden boat operators need some sensitization on safety measures. The number of passengers the carry on a trip is sometimes questionable, because those boats are not meant to carry too many passengers at a go and apart from that the jackets that are given to the passengers are questionable.
Mr. Israel Lawson (Banker)
The water transport system as we speak in Lagos state is safe because the facilities are on ground for passengers to utilize, but I am a afraid, the government need to monitor the activities of the passengers because most of the users are not really applying the safety measures. Within the inlands, we have cases of accident, no doubts but such instances are caused by the captain of such boats.
Comrade Peter Ojelatan (Water transporter)
A lot still have to be done, there are still more areas to be covered in terms of navigation. Water transport is very important, especially in Lagos State, when you talk of accidents, even on the roads we do have accidents, but accidents on the waters now is no longer frequent, but in the areas of wreck removal, these have to be removed. There was a time that they were removing wrecks on the water, but maybe it’s due to logistics that made them stop, however they still have to do more to ensure that these wrecks are removed, most accidents on the waters are caused by wrecks, including the recent one, our drivers are usually careful, there is no traffic like we have on the road. When you talk of security on the waters, it is the responsibility of everybody, we have the Nigerian Navy, Customs, Marine Police and so on, but my advice is that the Navy should be more equipped; with what we are seeing, a lot still needs to be done in terms of gadgets and equipment.
Capt. Adewale Ishola (Master Mariner)
You have to look at certain factors, the waterways to me are safe, and it remains the best and safest means of transportation, unlike the road, you can time yourself in getting to a particular place and you will get there at that time because there is no congestion on the waterways, the inland waterways to me is safe, but there are some factors; we want to look at the type of boats they are using, the people who are manning the boats and the loading of the boats, these are major issues, when people that are manning the boats do not have adequate knowledge, they are going to have problems, they will be just like an ordinary bus driver on the road that can just do as they like. There must be people that are knowledgeable enough to manage the boats because there are factors affecting movement on the waters, you have to look at the current and the tidal movements, the wave systems, but if people that are going to operate boats do not know these things and the meteorological knowledge, then there is going to be problems and this will make the water unsafe.
Michael Igbeaka (Boat Passenger)
Apart from the pockets of wrecks on the inland waterways, I can say they are considerably safe, what matters most is the way of loading the ferry and the boats, how do you load your passengers and the loads, if you don't load the goods properly, you are going to have an unstable boat and the issue of stability comes in and this can be really unsafe. Secondly, the boat operators have to know the routes they are plying, the deep routes and shallow areas, it is not everywhere that is dredged, but mind you, we are also dealing with smaller boats that should move across any depth of water, so the drivers need to know the deep end of the inland waters. The berthing facilities are equally important in considering the safety of the waterways, we need to determine if the jetties are well positioned and constructed with fenders.
Owolabi Omotayo (Chairman, Water Transporters, Liverpool branch)
The waterways are now coming up, thanks to the efforts of the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola for investing on the waterways for the purpose of commuter movement. The waterways are getting safer now, LASWA is there to regulate the safety of the operators, the police and the navy are there, the drug law enforcement agencies are also there to ensure that nobody uses the waterways for drug trafficking, if you go round Lagos you will find out that more people are now using the waterways, because it is faster and safe, accidents are not rampant compared to other means of transportation.
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