By Godwin Oritse

THE Centre for Marine Surveyors in Nigeria has frown at the use of unsafe boats and other water crafts on Lagos waters. Speaking at the annual lecture of the centre, the group’s Vice President Engr Akin Olaniyan said that the need to ensure safety of passenger boats on Lagos waters cannot be over emphasized following the hugh number of commuters currently patronising the use of water transport.

Olaniyan also urged the Lagos State Government to ensure proper certification of operators of passenger boats adding that uncertified coupled with unsafe boats will mean disaster if measures were not put in place to correct the anomaly in the water transport sector.

He said “Once passenger safety is guaranteed and commuters can travel in relative comfort, the seascape is opened and a major economic trigger is activated.

“The question is how safety can be guaranteed. The rules and regulations governing safety of lives at sea should be enforced.

“It is necessary to note here that there is no universal convention covering small crafts safety  nations operating commercial small vessels have their different laws on this issue.  “The International Maritime Organisation, IMO has only addressed the common grounds of this.

“The UK operational standards for small vessels which contain the safety codes of practice and certification is widely used and accepted in many countries with a blend of their local safety laws. However, when addressing this issue, one must be clear on what a small vessel is.

“Governor Ambode may have unwittingly kick-started  a virile industry which is capable of transforming  the maritime economy nationwide and galvanising intelligentsia towards creativity.

“The time has come when we should redefine our policies on maritime transportation and its safety. Meanwhile, not less than two million Lagosians now travel in and around Lagos by water on a monthly basis following increased enforcement of the laws guiding water transpor-tation in the state. Disclosing this at the  annual lecture organized by the Centre for Marine Surveyors in Nigeria, Managing Director of the Lagos State Waterways Authority, LASWA, Engr Bisola Kamson said that the target is to move 20million passengers around Lagos every month.