LAGOS (SUNDIATA POST)- The General Manager, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, says the authority is making plans to track boats real-time on the waterways.
Emmanuel said this at the Global Transport Policy (GTP) Roundtable Intermodal Transport System on Thursday in Lagos.
He spoke on the topic: “Connecting the Dots: Global Best Practices in Integrated and Multimodal Transport Systems.”
Emmanuel said the tracking with technological device would enable the authority know of any emergency on the waterways.
“We now have devices monitoring our waterways now and this shows what the movement are and the navigational challenges.
“The use of technological device will also help the authority expand its transportation network,” he said.
Emmanuel added that accurate data had helped the authority to improve its services.
“If one has accurate data of which we are doing through our Intelligent Transportation System, the waterways monitoring data management centre where we are taking the real-time data of the passengers using the waterways.
“The reason why we are doing this is that we want to optimise and utilise the waterways. We cannot do that until we fully understand what we are dealing with,” he said .
Also speaking, the Technical Adviser, Corporate and Investment Planning, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Mr Osa Konyeha, noted that government was structuring the informal transport providers to enhance commuters experience.
“We do not want to disenfranchise any transport operator because they are vital members of the sector, what we want is a more structured way of performing.
“We are looking at strategies to work with together with the informal sector to ensure that we work together in a safer and conducive transportation fabric for Lagos State,” he said.
He noted that government would collaborate with stakeholders to ensure an eco-friendly environment.
“We will make sure that all institutions in the transportation space speak together to ensure effective delivery of all our schemes.
“Professionalising the industry to ensure the right people do the job was of essence so as to get the best result,” he said.
On accurate data, he said LAMATA had come up with a unified way of payment for travel in the cowry card which serves the bus, rail and waterways.
“This integrates all modes of transport. It provide us with backend data of commuters starting their journey from one mode.
“LAMATA has developed the Transport Strategic Mobility Master plan, this helps us to collect information about travel patterns and we use it to plan our transport system,” he said.
He added that government needed to provide polices for private sector to participate.
“Government have built infrastructure but its the private sector that will run it, provide services that will run on those structures.
“Providing the right enabling environment for the private sector to participate, how to encourage high capacity buses and remove the rickety buses on our roads is government focus,” he said. (NAN)
