LAGOS – The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) on Wednesday urged boat operators to travel at safe speed to avoid having accidents with loggers and big vessels.
The Managing Director of the authority, Mr Olayinka Marinho, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that speeding was the cause of major accidents on the waterways.
According to him, a safe speed is one at which the vessel can be stopped in time to avert sudden danger.
“We will continue to enforce and enlighten. Be mindful and careful when going around these cargo ships and vessels. Because these vessels are of very high wave actions that most of those boats cannot take when they are speeding.
“We, at stakeholders meetings with boat operators within that vicinity, warned about the dangers of going near such vessels of such magnitude, but smaller vessels need to be very careful to reduce their speed. We said no to night travel. So, people should desist from traveling at night.’’
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Marinho also said that most of the state’s routes had been channelised with navigational buoys to enhance visibility and ensure safety on waterways.
He, however, advised members of the public to desist from stealing the buoys or altering their position, saying that that such action was criminal and inimical to the safety of waterways users.
Marinho said that the navigational buoys would assist the operators to find their way through the lagoon and avert grounding.
He also said that the authority was making efforts to monitor the movement and activities of loggers. (NAN)
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