Things are moving beyond the expectations of most sceptics. Kunle Awosiyan took a ride in one of the new ferries plying the Lagos waterways and concludes that the right adjective to qualify the experience is ‘SPLENDOUR’.

The sky looked misty and cloudy as if it would rain on the Monday morning. From a distance one could hear the rumpus of the sea as one of the ferries glided to the bay. The six ferries were painted red, creating aesthetics at the jetty.

For the first time in about 20 years of living in Lagos, the fervor to board a ferry took control of my thought. One could not imagine swimming in the flood not to talk of travelling nautical miles on the sea.

In a short time and for a fare of N150 per passenger, the ferry was filled up ready to sail from Ikorodu jetty of Ebute Ipakodo Metroferry Service to Marina.

“Has everybody got a life jacket? One of the crew had asked. Though the question sounded rhetorical, it doused the tensed mood of the pasengers, who were boarding the ferry for the first time.

The ferry was unhooked from the clasp as the captain started the engine and it cruised away as the passengers gazed at the ocean.

It is a 40-minute journey and for the first five minutes on the sea, no passenger could talk to each other. It was a silent minute for some, who perhaps had to say their last prayer. The ocean roared, the wind blew as the ambient temperature decreased to the minimum.

Like a duck, the boat whirled away from the sun to the shadow created by aquatic plants along the course to Marina. The experience changed as passengers began to throw banters.

One of the passengers, who simply identified himself as John, had told his friend that he was so afraid to board the ferry. He said, “I thought I would sink. This is my first time of travelling on sea but I think it’s a nice experience. I’m enjoying it.”

His friend had replied,:“You are a coward. That means you cannot go to war. You don’t know how to swim. I pity you.”

The chitchat had filled the air when the ferry suddenly hurdled, creating an abrupt silence among the passengers. For the next five minutes, the ferry was leaping and gliding as passengers kept their hearts in their mouths.



The passengers’ metro ferry service was inaugurated in Lagos about three weeks ago by the state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola as one of the ways to ease the problem of transportation in the state.

The state government through the present administration, had embarked on massive construction of jetties in the last two years. Its plan was to build four jetties before the end of this year through Public Private Partnership scheme.

At the inauguration, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Metroferry Marine Services Limited, Mr. Uyi Giwa-Osagie had commended the government for providing the opportunity of Public Private Participation (PPP) which had enabled the company to invest in the services.

According to him, about 1.5 million people who live in Ikorodu have depended on road transportation, which has been chaotic for many years. “However, the emergence of ferry service in the state will alleviate the suffering of the residents,” he said.

Giwa-Osagie said that the journey of four hours through vehicular traffic had since been reduced to 40 minutes, adding that the ferry service was a new conception of the present administration.

To Governor Fashola, the ferry service is a commitment of the present administration to deliver a multimodal mass transportation system that will raise the quality of life of the people of Lagos.



http://www.tribune.com.ng/29052009/lagoslife.html

http://www.tundefashola.com/archives/photos/2009/04/21/20090421P01.html

Ferry

good news. It's about time we build a fashola shrine

Well, !

Nice Developement, and i hope it is properly managed and mantained cos this could be a major problem We're facing.

Well done BRF. I wish all other governors could use common sense & not focus solely on'kwantracts' & stealing money. . . . .

Nice! The really good thing is that all of these modes of transit will be connected into one big integrated mass transit network (BRT, Light Rail, and Ferry), meaning you can leave your starting destination on a light rail train, connect to BRT bus, and then take a Ferry to your final destination! Well done Fashola!!

http://happylagosian..com/2009/05/in-fulfillment-of-governor-fashola-san.html

Ajah-badore jetty under construction (one of 4 jetties under construction)