Boat passengers that ply the waterways in Lagos as a means of transportation have lamented the hike in transport fares by boat operators following the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.
In a chat with our correspondent recently, some waterways users who live around Agbara, but work on Lagos Island explained that moving by waterways transport is now very expensive.
One of them, Mr. Ajisafe Lawal, said: “Normally, with N3,000, I am on my way home from Marina to Agbara. It is better for me to spend N3,000 to board a boat from Marina to Agbara around 5 pm when I close from work than to sit in a bus and get stuck in traffic for hours around the Orile-Mile 2 area.
“In a week, I was spending N30,000 on transportation moving to and from my home to work via waterways transportation. It wasn’t easy, but I could still cope since I earn just a little over N100,000 as salary monthly.
“If I go by boat, in 45 minutes, I am already home in Agbara and preparing for the next day’s work. But if I go by road, I won’t get home until around 11 pm or sometimes, past 12 am when the traffic is maddening. So, it was easier going home by waterways transportation”.
But, he lamented that the hike in pump price occasioned by the removal of subsidy has changed his weekly spending on water transportation.
He told our correspondent that, “since the removal of the fuel subsidy, waterways transportation has jumped up from N3,000 to N5,000 for one trip. The increment has been demoralizing.
“If I spend N10,000 to and from my house in Agbara to my workplace in Marina every day, how much is my salary? We are talking of N50,000 in a week, that is crazy.
“I had to stop using waterways transportation due to the very high cost of fares. At one point, we heard that the boat operators reduced the fares to N4,000 from N5,000 when they noticed the drop in passenger traffic. However, at N4,000, it is still too much for me. That is N8,000 per day and N40,000 in a week.
“I and some of my friends who used to take boat rides to Agbara from Marina have stopped. We barely earn over N100,000 monthly, and it’s difficult for us to spend N40,000 on just transportation alone from such a meagre salary.”
When our correspondent visited the Flour Mills jetty in Apapa last week, many of the passengers were complaining about the hike in waterways transport fares which have seen fares go up by almost 100 per cent.
Our correspondent observed that a trip from Apapa to Marina which used to cost N300 now goes for N500 flat.
In a chat with our correspondent, the Lagos Chapter Chairman of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), Mr. Saheed Lawal explained that since the fuel subsidy removal, boat operators have been running at a loss on daily trips on Lagos waterways.
In the words of Mr. Saheed Lawal: “Since fuel subsidy was removed by Mr. President, we have been having it tough. Most of us are currently running at a loss, because what we make cannot cater for our daily expenses”.
“From Marina to Badagry, a boat operator will need something around 30 litres of fuel which can cost around N17,000. We still have to get engine oil for around N4,000, making everything N21,000.
“Marina to Badagry used to be N3,000 per passenger before the fuel subsidy removal. After the fuel subsidy removal, we increased it to N5,000. However, when we noticed the drop in passenger volume, we had to bring it back to N4,000 in order not to discourage passengers from patronising waterways transportation. The same thing goes for Liverpool to Badagry. It used to be N3,000 but now goes for N4,000.
“From Ikorodu to Marina, we used to charge N1,500; but increased it to N1,800 after the fuel subsidy was removed. The consumption rate of the outboard engine that we use is different from vehicles. So, it is very expensive to remain in business these days”, he said.
