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Tag: Boat Operators

  • Boat operators to face prosecution if…

    Boat operators in Lagos State who fail to provide life jacket to their passengers will be prosecuted, the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), has warned.

    LASWA Managing Director Yinka Marinho, gave the warning in Lagos in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria.

    He said the authority would no longer tolerate passengers travelling on waterways without wearing standard life jackets.

    “It is mandatory that all users of waterways wear life jacket. We are going to prosecute all operators who carry passengers without life jacket. We implore passengers to insist on the use of life jacket,’’ he said.

    He said that the penalty to be melted out on boat operators who failed to comply with the directive would be determined by the courts.

    Marinho said the regulations guiding boat operation would be reviewed and necessary penalties spelt out for erring operators.

    “Some operators have been prosecuted; our regulations will be reviewed and there will be penalties for non-compliance to the use of life jackets. If a passenger refuses to wear life jacket, operators should not allow such passenger on board for whatever reasons.

    “Passengers should also insist on wearing life jackets, because 80 per cent of the fatalities on the waterways are caused by non compliance with the use of life jackets,” he said.

    The Managing Director said that no fewer than 3,500 life jackets had been distributed in the state and many were still being expected.

    He said that the authority recently took delivery of 2,400 life jackets donated by the government for distribution to boat operators across the state.

  • Boat operators without life jacket face sanction

    Boat operators without life jacket face sanction

    Boat operators in Lagos State who fail to provide life jackets to their passengers will be prosecuted, the State Waterways Authority (LASWA), has warned.

    LASWA Managing Director, Mr Yinka Marinho, spoke yesterday in Lagos in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said the authority would no longer tolerate passengers travelling on waterways without wearing standard life jackets.

    “It is mandatory that all users of waterways wear life jacket. We are going to prosecute all operators who carry passengers without life jacket.

    “We implore passengers to insist on the use of life jacket,” he said.

    He said the penalty to be melted out to boat operators, who failed to comply with the directive, would be determined by the courts.

    Marinho said the regulations guiding boat operation on the state waterways would be reviewed and necessary penalties spelt out for operators who failed to comply with the directive.

    “Some operators have been prosecuted; our regulations will be reviewed and there will be penalties for non-compliance to the use of life jackets.

    “If a passenger refuses to wear life jacket, operators should not allow such passenger on board for whatever reasons.

    “Passengers should also insist on wearing life jackets, because 80 per cent of the fatalities on the waterways are caused by non compliance with the use of life jackets,” he said.

    The managing director said 3,500 life jackets had been distributed in the state and many were still being expected.

    He said the authority recently took delivery of 2,400 life jackets donated by the government for distribution to boat operators across the state.

    “The life jackets will promote safe and responsible boating; the authority has not relented in educating and promoting safety on the waterways through advocacy programmes,’’ Marinho said.

  • NIWA parleys with boat operators

    NIWA parleys with boat operators

    The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Lagos recently had a stakeholders’ meeting with operators on the inland waterway in the state.

    The meeting was to rub minds between the operators and the regulatory agency on how to make the inland waterways in Lagos safe as an alternative means of transportation. Some of the burning matters in the industry which came under scrutiny were issues of safety, life-jacket, operational boats and working environment.

    The Area Manager of the agency in Lagos, Mr. Sambo Jaji, spoke on the meeting and some of the outcome: “Some of the agreements reached included: one, all passengers on board vessels must wear their life-jackets properly before they board any boat.

    “ Two, we have also agreed that boat captains are what you have quarter-masters must be certified by NIMASA which in the regulatory body for certifying such professionals. We have also agreed that boats to be used in ferrying passengers must be safe, sound and water-tight at all times. These are some of the issues that we have already agreed up on.

    “One other important matter is the issue of passenger manifest. Any time you board an aircraft, there is normally a manifest. In case anything happens, the world know who and who are on the aircraft.

    “ We have introduced that concept in Lagos. This is the first time in the entire country. We insist that operators ferrying passengers must have a manifest of such passengers before take-off.

    “We produced the manifest booklet for them free of charge for six months, thereafter we require that each of them would continue to produce it. We are going to enforce it because we believe it is important.”

    Sambo said most of the operators in Lagos have complied with the agency’s directive that all operators must provide life- jackets for their passengers.

    He explained: “Compliance has been, maybe, 80 per cent. In every human endeavour, there are bound to be short- comings here and there. For example, we heard the report from the Secretary General of the Association of Tourism Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATN) that at a particular jetty, they are using sub-standard life-jackets. We are going to get to that jetty as quickly as possible to make sure that all obsolete and sub-standard jackets are royed.”

  • Boat operators get 200 free life jackets

    No fewer than 200 life jackets have been distributed to boat operators to boost their business and enhance waterways safety in Lagos State.

    At the ceremony held last Wednesday, at Aiyetoro, Jetty, in Epe, a riverine community, the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), said 3,500 life jackets have been distributed by the government free to boost waterways safety.

    LASWA Managing Director Mr. Yinka Marinho said 17 boat operators benefited from the exercise, adding that the gesture was in continuation of the agency’s water safety awareness, which began in 2012.

    Last year, boat operators in Badagry, Ikorodu and Ojo, Marinho said, received 300,  500 and 2,000 life jackets.

    Marinho said: “This is in continuation of our waterways safety programme which we have been doing yearly. The governor helped us to start the distribution with 2,000 life jackets when the Ebute-Ojo Terminal was opened last year.”

    Like what happens when we wear our seat belts when we drive, life jackets, LASWA chief said, also prevent hazards when we found ourselves in the water.

    “You can see by the practical demonstration that you don’t need to know how to swim, as long as you wear the life jacket, you will stay afloat.

    Marinho said the gesture was to forestall a repeat of the mishap in the area during the presidential election in which some people drowned. “It is unfortunate we had a boat mishap here (Epe) during the presidential and National Assembly elections in which four persons lost their lives.

    “So, this is to forestall cases of deaths when mishaps occur,” Marinho said.

    He said the government was still working on the safety of the waterways and that of all users of water transportation.

    He advised operators to disallow any passenger from boarding the boat, who refuses to use a life jacket.

    An operator, Mr. Anthony Agadi, thanked LASWA for the gesture saying, if the victims of the last boat mishap had used life jackets, they could have been saved.

    “We are grateful to LASWA because now our passengers would be more confident in our operations.’’

  • Boat operators decry multiple charges

    The Federal Government has been urged to build more Jetties to boost water transportation in Lagos State, to address the problem of multiple charges facing boat operators in the state.

    The President, Association of Tour Boat Operators and Water Transport of Nigeria (ATBOWATON) Tarzan Balogun, said the federal, states, local governments and the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) officials collect different dues from their members, urging that  government should harmonise the fees.

    He lamented that insufficient jetties and boat stations have impeded water transportation in the state.

    “A jetty is a point where boat operators assemble to convey passengers to their various destinations; it is also an arrival and departure point.

    “Some people in Lagos prefer to use water transportation as an alternative to road transport because of the traffic challenges on the roads.

    “But, the challenge we are facing is the issue of jetty. We do not have enough jetties that we can operate from,’’ Balogun said.

    He listed places like Badagry; Amuwo Odofin; Epe; Ikorodu; Makoko; Lagos Island; Ajah; Takwa Bay and Apapa, as locations where the jetties could be sited for easy movement of people within the state.

    Although, he said there are some functional jetties in some of the areas mentioned, many of them, he pointed out are in a deplorable  state and needed to be upgraded.

    “The few jetties around Lagos State are not enough to convey passengers on the waterways. The water transportation users are far more than the jetties we have now.

    “There are some areas in Lagos that need the service of boat operators, but the lack of jetties in such environment have denied them our services,” he said.

    He said the issue of multiple charges needs to be addressed by the government because it impedes their business.

    “The Federal Government agencies collect their charges, Lagos State government collects tax, the local governments collect their own dues too.

    “Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) collect their own charges as well, all these multiple charges kill the industry and can frustrate operators out of business,’’he said.

  • Boat operators decry multiple charges

    Boat operators decry multiple charges

    The Federal Government has been urged to build more Jetties to boost water transportation in Lagos State, to address the problem of multiple charges facing boat operators in the state.

    The President, Association of Tour Boat Operators and Water Transport of Nigeria (ATBOWATON) Tarzan Balogun, said the federal, states, local governments and the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) officials collect different dues from their members, urging that  government should harmonise the fees.

    He lamented that insufficient jetties and boat stations have impeded water transportation in the state.

    “A jetty is a point where boat operators assemble to convey passengers to their various destinations; it is also an arrival and departure point.

    “Some people in Lagos prefer to use water transportation as an alternative to road transport because of the traffic challenges on the roads.

    “But, the challenge we are facing is the issue of jetty. We do not have enough jetties that we can operate from,’’ Balogun said.

    He listed places like Badagry; Amuwo Odofin; Epe; Ikorodu; Makoko; Lagos Island; Ajah; Takwa Bay and Apapa, as locations where the jetties could be sited for easy movement of people within the state.

    Although, he said there are some functional jetties in some of the areas mentioned, many of them, he pointed out are in a deplorable  state and needed to be upgraded.

    “The few jetties around Lagos State are not enough to convey passengers on the waterways. The water transportation users are far more than the jetties we have now.

    “There are some areas in Lagos that need the service of boat operators, but the lack of jetties in such environment have denied them our services,” he said.

    He said the issue of multiple charges needs to be addressed by the government because it impedes their business.

    “The Federal Government agencies collect their charges, Lagos State government collects tax, the local governments collect their own dues too.

    “Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) collect their own charges as well, all these multiple charges kill the industry and can frustrate operators out of business,’’he said.

  • Operators get one year to paint boats

    ThE National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) will introduce safety measures for boat operators next year, The Nation has learnt.

    Sources close to NIWA said as from January 2015, boats would have number plates. They will a lot be painted in green-white-green for easy identification and safety.

    The operators are also expected to register their boats which will carry their identity and in case of distress calls.

    The National President, Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), Alhaji Gani Balogun, said some officials of NIWA had hinted them about the new plan, adding that they were ready to comply because it is for their benefit and their passengers.

    Balogun said at a meeting NIWA, they agreed on the green-white-green colour.

    He said the white represents light, adding that whenever a boat has challenges at a night, it can be easily identified by other boat operators or government agencies.

    According to him, the darker it is at night, the brighter the boat becomes because of the white in between the green.

    He said the government gave the operators, between six and 12 months to comply it begins implermentation of the guidelines.