Residents seek govt attention on waterways to ease gridlock on Lagos roads

SMARTING from spending close to two and half hours in the traffic between Ikorodu and Oshodi, Kunle Fagbemi, a licensed customs agent, last week began to ponder over what it could be that the government might have not done right.

He told The Guardian he realised that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, once touted as the cure-all for the traffic congestion on Lagos roads, had not solved the problem and that though, so much had been said about the Lagos Light Rail, there was not much yet on ground to signify it might anytime become a reality.

Then, his mind went to the ferry service that many Lagosians had patronised in the final years of the Buba Marwa administration and he wondered what could have happened.

Indeed, a lot has happened as different administrations grappled with how to put in place a system of transportation that would efficiently move its millions of commuters to and from their destinations without bleeding them to death.

The Lagos State government has tried to provide transport services for its people by partnering with private bodies, building and expanding more roads, introducing the popular BRT, introducing a light-rail system and drawing up a master-plan to improve the Lagos water transportation system.

Yet, the traffic in Lagos metropolis is still a nightmare to most Lagosians.

“ In the past 12 years, it is clear that not enough has been done to effectively utilise the water-ways with which the state is blessed in order to improve mass transportation.

“Government’s attention has been concentrated on the BRT to the detriment of the other systems such as light rail and ferry service that could have contributed towards solving the problem,” Fagbemi said.

He lamented that the Lagos State Ferry Services Corporation (LSFSC), which thrived during the Alhaji Lateef Jakande and Marwa administrations, had been abandoned to the extent that it was doubtful if any of its vessels was still functional.

Indeed, the Mile Two headquarters of the LSFSC could bring tears to the eyes of whoever knew what the place looked like, a few years ago.

Six or seven boats of different capacities, including an ambulance, are abandoned to rot and rust away at the jetty for years.

The premises is overgrown and disused life-jackets and vandalised fittings litter the area between the jetty and the offices while the place has also become a parking lot for waste disposal trucks.

A policeman, probably on guard, told The Guardian he could not remember the last time anybody came to board the ferries at the Mile Two Jetty.

“That must be many years ago. Nobody comes here anymore,” he said.

While it was not possible to get an official response from the Ministry of Transportation, an official who sought anonymity, said “though it could be said that enough has not been done, that does not mean that government has been silent or idle over the issue.’

He said in an attempt to breath life into water transportation, the government set up the Lagos State Waterways Authority, (LASWA) in 2008 to license and regulate water transportation.

It also built three new jetties at Badore, Ipakodo and Osborne in Ikoyi while some older jetties have also undergone renovation.

He also said that in pursuit of the government’s policy of Public Private Partnerships, LASWA has licensed five operators on different routes to facilitate mass transportation of Lagosians across the waterways.

In its hey days, LSFSC’s ferries and boats were available at jetties at different locations in Lagos: Badore in Eti-Osa, Agboyi-Ketu in Amuwo-Odofin, Ijegun-Egba in Kosofe Ebute Ipakodo Ferry Terminal in Ikorodu and CMS on the Marina, among others from where they took Lagosians to and from their destinations, cheaper and quicker.

But now, only the jetties at CMS, Badore and Ijede, run by private operators, see any form of activity.

The few Lagosians, to whom the private-run ferry services are available in their areas, are happy.

They say their trips, which would have taken hours by road, take only a small fraction of that time and that they pay so much less.

“It now takes me about 10 minutes at N80 from Ikoyi to Lekki, instead of two hours in traffic at N120 “ a regular commuter, Jinaudu Abe told The Guardian.

Another commuter on the Badore, Eti Osa to Ijede in Ikorodu said it takes just 30 minutes and N100 instead of probably three or four hours getting to their destination; they would however spend hours going by road.

“Improving the water transportation option is a great idea”, a resident of Badore, Uche Ukaiwo, said, adding that “is available at present falls short of the demand.”

“I don’t think the existing ferry system is sufficient, even though it is bedevilled by some problems which, of course, can be tackled.

“ Most times, the ferries are overcrowded and there are all sorts of people on board just like a ‘molue.’

A resident of Maza-maza, Seun Adepitan, who usually takes a canoe to get to his work-place in the FESTAC is of the view that: “If the banks and large firms can invest in the water transportation, they will make lots of money.

“ In England, Richard Branson’s Virgin group has its imprints everywhere, from air and rail transport, health clubs, holiday resorts, telephone services and other businesses.

“ I’m waiting for the Dangotes, Otedolas and Ibrahims to start investing in the public infrastructure of the country. They will make more money that way”.

But Femi, who lives close to Seun, believes “potential passengers are not assured of their safety as there are no emergency service patrolling the waterways and laws guiding operators are either not enforced or put in place.

“Ferry operators should not be expected to provide embankments or ‘stations’ by themselves. Those should be provided by government, which also should do other things like rail or BRT to complement the ferry services.”

But the National Association of Nigerian Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters (NATBOWAT), the private-sector component in the water transportation sector, has complained that some of the policies of government are stifling their efforts.

A member of the body, Mr. Ganiyu Tarzan Balogun, who operates Tarzan Boats, lamented the high cost of acquiring boats, and high operation fees levied on them by the government.

“The government is yet to create an enabling environment for private operators to work effectively.

“There are bound to be teething problems that will go away as we settle down with time and the business begins to grow.

“Demanding such high licensing fees and levies cannot encourage us, yet, there is need for the waterways to be adequately harnessed to improve mass transportation in Lagos State.”

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