The Managing Director, Lagos Ferry Services (LAGFERRY), Mr Abdoulbaq Balogun, said the service ferried over 200, 000 passengers within 150 days of operations in 2020.
Balogun, who made the disclosure in a New Year message to commuters on Sunday, in Lagos, while mapping out LAGFERRY’s operational strategies for 2021, added that the service would have done better if not for the interruptions caused by the COVID–19 pandemic and #ENDSARS protests.
He assured that commuters would witness a lot of transformation in water transportation in 2021, as arrangements had been concluded by the state government to increase the agency’s boat fleet to 20.
Balogun said that LAGFERRY would reciprocate the government’s huge investments in water transportation, with improved and efficient service delivery to its customers in the new year.
“I urge you to stay tuned and expect more remarkable giant strides in water transportation in the first quarter of the new year, as we take delivery of additional world-class, state of the art, boats to increase our fleet to 20 and our capacity to meet the ever-increasing demands,” he said.
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He cited a notable achievement and huge milestone recorded by LAGFERRY in 2020, as the expansion of services to Epe, Badagry, Agbowa-Ikosi, Agbara and Ibeju-Lekki areas of the state.
The LAGFERRY MD said the agency contributed 38 per cent of the water transportation index to the transportation matrix of the state, improved water transportation’s contribution to the state’s GDP from 0.2 per cent to 0.08 per cent, paid a high premium to safety and achieved an accident-free record.
This was in addition to the provision of a reliable alternative intermodal transportation for residents, by helping to decongest road traffic and assisting in ensuring ease of doing business through the waterways, he added.
He appealed to residents to embrace the unlimited possibilities offered by water transportation, to ease the incessant traffic gridlock in the state, while commending the state government’s efforts and commitment to the intermodal transportation system in the state, with huge investments in water transportation.
Balogun assured that the agency remained committed to the safety of passengers and would not compromise on any of the COVID-19 safety protocols, as it relates to water transportation.
“We will continue to break new grounds as we open up uncharted territory on water,” he said.