Commuters using onboard commercial vessels on Lagos waterways are expected to rise from the current average of two million per month
to about four million by 2017, as the state government is building up the sector for concessioning to efficient management investors.
Yinka Marinho, managing director of Lagos Waterways Authority (LASWA), told BusinessDay on Wednesday that “the projection of four millionpassengers in the next two years is due to the increase in infrastructural development and opening of more routes.” The statistics of monthly ridership on the waterways shown to BusinessDay indicates that there has been a steady increase in the number of passengers in the last five years, rising from about 875,263 passengers per month in December 2010 to1,902,63 passengers by December 2014, despite a few mishaps recorded within the period under review.
He explained that a rise in the ridership was expected as Lagos State government intends to concession the major ferry terminals in order to achieve efficient management and service delivery, “as the state moves towards the full implementation of its inter-modal public transportation that will lead to the integration of road, rail and water. “The state will build the infrastructure and concession them to oil marketing companies and organisations that have the expertise in facility management to ensure all safety compliance are followed”, Marinho said
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