By Godwin Oritse

Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) has made mandatory for every passenger and boat operating on its waterways to have insurance cover as part of measures to safe guard the lives commuters.

LASWA’s Managing Director Mr Yinka Marinho reiterated the need on the use of Personal Floating Device otherwise known as live vests by commuters using the water ways to move in and around the city.

Marinho said that the enforcement on the use of live vests is for the safety of commuters and boat operators adding that any body caught with out a live vest or boat operator overloading his boat will be apprehended and prosecuted.

Marinho noted that the agency is yet to achieve a total compliance on the use of live vest by commuters adding that there are still a few stubborn passengers who refused to be regulated on the issue of live vest.

Speaking in similar vein, LASWA’s Director of operation Mr Segun Adekoya stated that there is an increase in the number of commuters using the Lagos state waterways adding that the development has called for increased safety awareness.

He stated that more commuters comes from the Epe and Ikorodu axis because of the traffic situation in these areas. He disclosed that the use of live vest is now a policy in Lagos State Government that all vessels operating on the State water ways must have insurance cover.

He added that the insurance cover must cover the accidental death and medical cost of passengers and crew on board in the case of injury sustained in an accident.

He explained that the insurance policy covers the crew, passengers and the boats adding that a biannual inspection of these are carried out by the agency as part of the safety measures.

He said “there has been an increase in the number of people using the water ways transports.

“What we do is that we count commuters that board and disembark from boats in our jetties across the state, from Iya-fin to Epeme in Badagry Ikorpdu, Bayeku and ,Ijede .

“This has been made possible due to the presence of the Lagos water guards stationed in every jetty in the state to feed us with these figures from which we have created a database.

“Many people are embracing water transportation because of the traffic congestion in some parts of Lagos like Ikorodu and Mile 12 “It is now a policy of Lagos State Government that all vessel on Lagos State water ways must be have insurance cover, this insurance cover must at least cover the accidental death and cover the medical cost in case of injury”. Adekoya also reminded boat operators that the ban on night travel is still on and warned both passengers and operators to adhere to the ban for their safety and security.