LASWA to launch control room to enhance safety on waterways

Segun Oladipupo

The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) is set to launch the waterways control room to monitor the activities of boat operators on Lagos waterways.

The scheme is to monitor and control boats playing the waterways to forestall occurrence of accidents along the waterways.

The General Manager, Lagos Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr. Damilola Emmanuel, stated this in an exclusive interview with our correspondents in his office on Thursday.

He added that the state government is upgrading the Search and Rescue unit of the authority to expand to other locations.

The Search and Rescue is to avail help to boat accident victims on time before the situation gets out of hand.

Emmanuel explained that safety is paramount on waterways in order to boost the confidence of passengers and also to reduce the traffic on the roads.

“Where we currently are now is upgrading safety on the inland waterways which is critical to the development of inland waterways because there is an issue of passengers confidence and phobia for water transportation

“The state government is embarking on enhancing safety infrastructure on the waterways

“One of them is the launch of the waterways control room which we are working on and we are also upgrading our Search and Rescue units to expand to other locations.

When asked why the agency had to provide life jackets for operators, he said the state always subsidise it for affordability and a way of helping the operators too.

He noted that the agency has a way of monitoring the operators on usage of life jackets, saying any operator that defaults, would be severely penalised.

“We are also continuing our life jackets donation and life jacket sensitisation of all passengers.

Speaking further, the Emmanuel stated that the state has embarked on rehabilitation of sixteen jetties and terminals across the length of the state.

His words,” Now, in terms of bigger infrastructural projects, the state government is rehabilitating sixteen jetties and terminals across the entire length of the state while also channelising two major routes on the Waterways,” he said.