Water transportation available during elections - Operators

Tayo Oladipupo

Following the arrangement with the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to reduce transport fares during the Feb. 23 elections, their counterpart in water transportation have distanced itself from such arrangements.

The water transporters assured of the availability of their crafts to ferry passengers to their locations to exercise their voting rights. .

A cross section of the operators who spoke with our correspondent on Thursday, disclosed that water transportation fees have not changed based on the forthcoming elections.

Some of the ferry and boat operators in Lagos State, said staff of INEC and other government agencies will pay the necessary fee to and fro their respective destinations.

Speaking on the development, Comrade Adeniji Peters, a local commercial boat operator at Liverpool said elections would hold in different riverine communities in Lagos and there are no plans to reduce charges.

Peters noted that the water transport associations in Lagos were not consulted or briefed by any agencies of the government on the need to add value to the elections.

The operator added that the water transportation is capital intensive and nobody would like to run at a loss when the government has not shown any interest to engage operators in the business.

Similarly, the Managing Director, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, said that there was no slash in the fares of both boats and ferry services.

Emmanuel said “This is a private business owned by individuals; we are only regulating their operations to maintain the laid down standard.

“But, we will ensure there are availability of boats to convey people on election duties to their various locations during the elections,’’ he said.