Tobias Sylvester
The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has inaugurated 14 commercial ferries at the Badore Ferry Terminal, Ajah, in a bid to curtail the gridlock experienced in some part of the state.
A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Gboyega Akosile, on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, said the boats can take up to 40 to 60 passengers at a go and will commute to Ikorodu, Ebute Ero, CMS, Badore and Ikoyi areas of the state.
Sanwo-Olu assured Lagosians that before the end of the year, the boats would be increased to 30, and more than 500 buses would be injected into the state transport system to ease transportation problems.
The governor, however, said the decision to ban motorcycle and tricycle riders in some parts of Lagos was irreversible for safety and security reasons.
While speaking at the Badore Ferry Terminal, where he also inaugurated the Lagos Ferry Service (LAGFERRY) and a mobile app, Sanwo-Olu said no responsible government would allow security breach in the state.
“Let me tell you about the ban which we just enforced. We will sustain the ban on okadas and tricycles, mainly because of security and safety reasons. Security and safety of citizens are paramount to any government. As a responsible government, we will not fold our arms and allow security breach in the state.
“We will continue to ensure the safety of our people on all fronts. There have been reports of serious security breaches and safety concerns in areas where these operators ply. We had to respond to these concerns because life and safety matter to this government,” he added.
The governor pointed out that water transportation was one of the intermodal transportation tripods the state was committed to developing as a strategy to reducing congestion on the roads, which accounted for over 90 per cent of commuting in the state.
He said for Lagos to be a functional smart city, there must be diversification, including the interconnectivity of the rail, road and water transportation systems.
KanyiDaily had reported that Lagos State Government banned commercial motorcycles and tricycles from six local government areas and nine local council development areas of the state.
The government stated that the ban was due to the rising crime rates and accidents associated with motorcycles and tricycles.
So we on mainland without aquatic body close to us, how would this ferry be of help to us biko