Warns Boat Operators Against Overloading

The Lagos State Government said it will henceforth revoke the license of any operator found overloading his boat on the waterways.
Managing Director, Lagos Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr Adeyinka Marinho, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
Marinho said that any boat operator found overloading would be sanctioned and fined.
He explained that first and second time offenders would be fined, while subsequently, such offenders would have their operations grounded.

The Lagos State Government said it will henceforth revoke the license of any operator found overloading his boat on the waterways.
Managing Director, Lagos Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr Adeyinka Marinho, stated this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos.
Marinho said that any boat operator found overloading would be sanctioned and fined.
He explained that first and second time offenders would be fined, while subsequently, such offenders would have their operations grounded.
“We have noticed that some of the boats at Badore, Ijede, Ikorodu and Bayeku jetties were often overloading and, what is paramount to us is the safety of the people.
“With inspection of each boat that is going on now, we would agree with the operators on the capacity of each boat. We have a capacity of where people sit in the boat, we will measure and say that this is the capacity of your boat,” Marinho said.
He said that the authority would make available the capacity of each of the boats operating on the state waterways.
Marinho advised passengers to always resist attempt by operators to overload their boats, for safety reasons.
“We have done a lot of work in the entire Ikorodu, we have met with operators in Bayeku, Langbasa and Ajah jetties on this issu; we have caught one or two operators and they have been fined for overloading.
“It is going to be a major trust of our organisation because the rainy season is back and the water level is high.
“We are warning all operators not to allow people stay too close to the jetties, and enforcing this maximum capacity that would be allowed on any given boat,” he said.
Marinho said that LASWA was not interested in the fines or sanctions but the safety of the passengers.
He advised all passengers to always use life jackets while en route in boats.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that ferry and boat operators had also condemned LASWA for alleged collectıon of regıstratıon charges on boats and ferries wıthout the ıssuance of the required regıstratıon numbers and lıcensed plate numbers.
The operators had also condemned the management of LASWA for alleged ıncompetence and unprofessional conducts ın the management of Lagos waterways.
Some of the operators had alleged in a recent chat with Shipping Position Daily that LASWA collects N25, 000 annually from each boat as lıcence renewal fee and N30, 000 as regıstratıon for new boats wishing to operate on Lagos waters.
They lamented that although, they pay the money to LASWA, they were never issued registration numbers or plate numbers.