By GODFREY BIVBER

The National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, has directed all operators in the inland water transport business to ensure that all their water craft are painted white with green inscription of their names and that of the craft.

The new directive is to take effect in July next year to give operators adequate time to prepare before the implementation commences.

Disclosing this in Lagos at a meeting with the operators, Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Muazu Sambo, said painting of the water craft is necessary for easy identification in cases of emergency.

Sambo and his management team at the meeting allowed the operators to vote on when the new directive is to take effect. He noted that the current position where all operators are free to paint their craft in whatever colour they preferred, was not in the best interest of the industry as most of the chosen colours are not visible even during the day.

In addition, each craft is also expected to carry a flag it which it would be known.

According to Sambo, “All commercial boats are to have the same colour as from the July next year as agreed upon at this meeting because of visibility. The colour should be white and the name of the company and the boat should be boldly written in green for easy identification.”

He also noted that the Authority has printed manifest which were shared to the operators for them to use before every firm would start printing for themselves. The Area Manager pointed out that NIWA decision to print the manifest is to ensure that there is uniformity in the document used by all operators.

He also said that the advantage of operators insisting on passengers writing their names on the manifest is that it comes handy for insurance claims in case of accident, as well as serving as a source of information on all the passengers on a particular trip.

On the drivers permit that are to be gotten from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Sambo said that all boat operators are expected to get theirs before the end of the year.

The NIWA boss also disclosed that they have established a safety compliance team that will be paying unscheduled visits to all the jetties to ensure that they are observing all the laws governing water transportation.

According to him, “We are worried about boat mishap on our waterways and our responsibility is to find out the human causes and ensure that it does not happen again. When this is done and it still happens, then it is an act of God.

“We are worried and we know that you are worried too.”

He stressed the need for partnership to ensure that the incessant boat mishap is curbed or reduced to the barest minimum, he concluded.