The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday inaugurated 14 commercial ferries at the Badore Ferry Terminal, Ajah.
The boats, according to a statement, can take up to 40 to 60 passengers at a go and will commute to Ikorodu, Ebute Ero, CMS, Badore and Ikoyi areas of the state.
While assuring Lagosians that before the end of the year the boats would be increased to 30, Sanwo-Olu said more than 500 buses would be injected into the state transport system to ease transportation problems.
The governor said the decision to ban motorcycle and tricycle riders in some parts of Lagos was irreversible for safety and security reasons.
While speaking at the Badore Ferry Terminal, where he also inaugurated the Lagos Ferry Service (LAGFERRY) and a mobile app, Sanwo-Olu said no responsible government would allow security breach in the state.
“Let me tell you about the ban which we just enforced. We will sustain the ban on okadas and tricycles, mainly because of security and safety reasons. Security and safety of citizens are paramount to any government. As a responsible government, we will not fold our arms and allow security breach in the state.
“We will continue to ensure the safety of our people on all fronts. There have been reports of serious security breaches and safety concerns in areas where these operators ply. We had to respond to these concerns because life and safety matter to this government,” he added.
The governor pointed out that water transportation was one of the intermodal transportation tripods the state was committed to developing as a strategy to reducing congestion on the roads, which accounted for over 90 per cent of commuting in the state.
He said for Lagos to be a functional smart city, there must be diversification, including the interconnectivity of the rail, road and water transportation systems.
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