The Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) has impounded the engines of six passengers’ boat operators in its renewed efforts to sanitise waterways to prevent boat mishaps.
LASWA General Manager, Damilola Emmanuel, disclosed this on Tuesday in a statement in Lagos by the agency’s Public Affairs Officer, Nkechi Ajayi.
There have been series of accidents on waterways in Lagos in recent times, the latest being July 29, which claimed more than 10 lives.
The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) recently called for Emmanuel’s sack over LASWA’s failure to curb the incessant accidents.
“The patrol team of Lagos State Waterways Authority earlier seized a total number of six boat engines belonging to commercial ferry operators that were caught flouting safety regulations on the waterways.
“Their offences include not wearing life jackets, overloading, reckless driving, among other offences which could have resulted in preventable fatalities when accidents occur,” he said.
He said areas covered during the safety compliance operations were Mile 2, Kirirkiri, Abule Osun Jetty, Alex Jetty, Liverpool, Ebute-Ojo all in the Ojo axis of Lagos.
Emmanuel said the authority would no longer condone actions capable of jeopardizing lives on the waterways.
