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Boat operators demand filling stations

By on September 1, 2014

Boat and ferry operators have expressed a concern over the lack of filing stations around jetties, forcing them to keep jerry cans of fuel on board while transporting passengers from one location to another.

Of recent, a commercial boat belonging to Aquitien Oil and Gas had exploded at Lagos Island, while refueling at Capital Oil Jetty.

One person was killed in the incident while several others were said to have been injured.

The Chief Executive Officer of Tarzan Marine Services, Mr. Ganiyu Balogun, told SUNDAY PUNCH that it was a common practice among most ferries and boats within the Lagos metropolis to move with their own fuel supply on board.

He said the absence of filling stations at jetties had forced ferry and boat operators to adopt this practice despite the risk.

Balogun said, “We have been on this issue with the government since the time of the Obasanjo administration that filling stations be established at jetties. This would stop the practice of ferry and boat operators buying fuel in jerry cans and using it to fuel their vessels.

“For instance, a ferry that takes off from Lagos to Badagry, the capacity the engine is 50 litres; obviously by the time it gets to Badagry, it will need to re-fuel for the return trip.

“If it happens that there is no fuel in the vicinity at the time and it had left Lagos without extra fuel in a jerry can, it would not be able to make the return journey.”

Balogun added that there had been instances where some boats or ferries stopped in the middle of their journey because the fuel got finished. He said it was important that filling stations were provided on the inland waters, specifically for ferry and boat operators to refuel their vessels.

He said, “Running a ferry or boat is similar to operating a car. If you have a faulty fuel gauge, you would not be able to make correct estimates of the fuel you have got. Then, there is this rule that operates on the inland waterways. A ferry or boat operator is required to stop and assist when you come across another ferry in distress.

“Towing another ferry to the closest jetty uses up more fuel; it is in your interest to have an extra supply on board so that you are not stranded. In an ideal situation, this should not be so.”

Balogun said the association had met with the Managing Director of the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority, Mrs. Maryam Ciroma, during her recent visit to Lagos and she had assured them that the issue would be looked into.

He said they had also met with the Lagos Area Manager of NIWA, Muazu Sambo, who also promised them the agency’s cooperation.

He said, “I don’t doubt NIWA’s support but I cannot say for sure when they intend to carry out their plans. We do hope that they would be able to do something in the nearest future. In the meantime, however, we are currently working with a foreign company to establish at least one filling station on the inland waters. We would have to travel to Europe and observe what is obtainable for us to know how to go about it here.”

Balogun added that the association had determined after a survey that a minimum of four filling stations were required in strategic locations in Lagos to solve the problem.

The Facility Manager for Metro Ferry at Ikorodu, Mr. Zakary Dekina, said the company had tried to get approval from the Department of Petroleum Resources to construct its filling station.

He said, “There are many advantages in the construction of filling stations for ferries and boats. One of them is the issue of safety. It is for this reason that we all fuel our vessels at the jetty where safety standards can be observed.

“We have already applied to the DPR to install our own filling station but we have yet to get the permission. Until we get it, we will have to keep buying fuel in jerry cans and using same means to refuel our vessels.”

The NIWA Area Manager, Sambo, when contacted, said filling stations could not be sited at jetties due to their sensitive nature.

He said, “You have to consider the risk of fire when citing a filling station at a jetty. However, we are currently working with the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transport in Nigeria to tackle this problem.

“What we have agreed on is that the association should look for suitable land close to the waterways where these filling stations can be sited. Once they identify such locations and we have determined that it would be of no risk to the public, they would get the required permit. This is a matter that has been of concern to us at NIWA, we are doing all we can to solve it.”

Other problems that have continued to plague the development of Inland water transportation are the presence of water hyacinth on the waterways, insufficient life jackets, reckless speeding by some boat operators.

 

 

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