Lagos – Mr Zakari Dekina, Facility and Maintenance Manager, Lagos State Metro Ferry, said the waterway transportation has continued to record low patronage since the Lagos State Government inaugurated the 2nd Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).
Dekina told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.
According to him, procurement of buses and the recent fuel crisis rocking the country also contributed to the low patronage of the transport system.
NAN reports that the state government inaugurated the 2nd mass transit buses on Nov.12 to alleviate the sufferings of Lagos residents who were experiencing hardship in getting transports to their various destinations.
“We have noticed a reduction in passengers’ traffic since the inauguration of the new BRT buses coupled with the current fuel crisis.
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“ Also we are facing serious challenges in these two areas,’’ Dekina said.
He explained that the management of Metro Ferry routinely held meetings with passengers to sensitise them to safety and the need for them to wear life jackets before boarding any of their ferries.
According to him, government will be holding a stakeholders’ meeting to intimate the operators on the proper mechanism of operating waterway transportation services and how to curb incessant mishaps on waterways.
“On our own part, we hold what is called “the safety trade’’ for our passengers before onshore departure of any of our boats.
“And on quarterly basis, we try to arrange meetings between our passengersand our organization to sensitise them on safety on the water,’’ he said.
He said that his outfit was planning another stakeholders’ meeting very soon where they would rub minds together with the state government on areas where they could be of assistance .
He commended Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode on his commitment to solve the hardship people were going through in the transport sector , adding that transportation was a key sector of any economy. (NAN)
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