By Olusegun Olanrewaju
Dateline Ikorodu, a high-density town in Lagos State. It is 06.55am. People are trooping to the terminal in their dozens, either to work, school, trade, tour, or even lazy about.

They are of various cadres – nationality, gender, age, or of whatever persuasion.

As you enter into the lobby, others are patiently sitting in rows on black-painted corrugated steel chairs.

You have an eerie feeling that you are standing in the corridors of an airport lounge, but it’s really different here, especially when you sight the life jackets.

A large, bright poster on the wall advertising a newly-released blockbuster Nollywood movie stares you on the wall to the right.

Bills are perched on the desk displaying routes, but no prices or timing are seen. You can only search for that online.

Inwardly, the sights are impressive, but on the fringe, an eyesore of floating mass of refuse, including emptied water sachet wrappers and plastic bottles, litter the lagoon shores.

Raise your head a bit to the right hand side, you see on the wall an array of for-sale school bags, and the platform, commuters, including children, clinging to their parents.

They are all anticipating a ferry ride to the Lagos Island and beyond, in that morning rush hour.

It is observed that some of the prospective commuters have learnt to take safety measures on their own will, armed with life jackets, even from the entrance from home, in case of accidents on the waters.

At the counter, you are welcomed with a drama of confusion over what? Oh, boarding fares.

“You’re welcome,” the young man on the reception counter informs you, rubbing injury on wound, he voices, “your fare is N1,000.”

Your energy drains. You hiss, because, online, you had already been ‘reliably informed’ that a 30-minute ride on the boat would only cost you N500 to CMS, on Isale Eko, or Lagos Island.

But on a return visit to the same premises days later, probably aware of an ‘inquisition’, another clerk revised the transport fare to N800

Services
Various services exist in, or are provided, at the premises. There is even a shop that provides pharmaceutical services, Ibro Pharmacy. Apart from the boarding facilities, there is a food court. There are provision shops and toilets and port facilities at the adjoining yard.

‘Not for the poor’
It is obvious that ferry services are not for the poor. A normal city bus fare is affordable to all at N300 from Ikorodu Garage to CMS/Idumota.

Even a ride to further Obalende by state transport bus, Lagbus, costs only N400.

“It’s crazy,’’ a commuter laments: ‘’Even if you earn N200,000 a month, and regularly, it makes a sense of all your income.

“CMS is not the only destination for commuters; some are still going down to Lekki and Ajah. Even from the Ikorodu garage you can get a Danfo bus to the Lekki-Ajah axis with N600. Paying N1,600 for a point-to-point return ferry trip is costly. Some still have to board other means of transport like cabs and Okada before reaching their respective destinations,” he adds.

2023 Presidency: APC, PDP throw verbal punches

The situation
Ferries, it has been said, offer a direct and less stressful way to travel for thousands of commuters daily in a city.

Lagos is no exception to this truism. And that is why, in the parlance, it is held that the state has been blessed with the biggest of such outpost in the former nation’s capital, the Ikorodu ferry terminal.

Ikorodu is one of the former five original political divisions in Lagos State, It has been described as a social and economic hub for residence in the cosmopolitan state.

The Ikorodu ferry terminal is, maybe, aptly tagged ‘The Pride of Ikorodu’.

Experience here have always been divided between the good, the bad and the ugly. But none compares to that of the situation during the #End SARS attempted uprising, which greatly affected alternative transportation too in Lagos.

Service providers say commuters are safer in the rainy season boarding the ferry. “The Rains are here! Yet we are ready to go! With safety measure in place to keep you safe as you commute“, the ferry service promotes.

Nowadays, more and more people are discovering the magic of water transportation.

However, according to statistics, there are now some 78,000 commuters passing through ferry terminals a month in Lagos, and the figure is growing.

Location
The Ikorodu Ferry Jetty is located in the Ebute axis of Ikorodu, the retail nerve centre of the town. The area hosts a good number of businesses that trigger a great amount of traffic – foot and vehicular.

As the government contemplates closing Illegal jetties in the Ikorodu hub, the terminal has become crucial for ferry transportation in Ikorodu.

It is estimated that the terminal is currently transporting over 4,000 ‘unique travellers’ daily, ‘’with capacity for significant growth’’.

Persons who work on the Lagos Island form the bulk of patrons, especially those estimated to be on an average monthly income of N200,000 or above.

These are those who head for central city locations like CMS, Addax and Falomo in the affluent Ikoyi, for work and business daily.

“The ferry option is preferable for me because I don’t have to drive my car to the chaos in Lagos,’’ Ebitimi Amos, an insurance executive, told our correspondent.

He adds, “Moreover, there are no parking places on the island, so, it is more convenient for me to leave my vehicle back at home.’’

The important sites at the Ikorodu ferry terminal are the Car Park lamp post, Double Faced LED in Waiting Area, Terminal Entrance Beside the Information Desk, and the Ferry Boarding Pathway Beside Information Desk

Others are the Ferry Boarding Pathway, Exterior Wall Drapes, and Ferry Loading Walkway.

There is also a car park for those who desire the services.

Special services
Fun -lovers, picnic makers and holiday buffs often savour the comfort of the ferry service here to up their engagement.

This is more so during festive periods and special takes such as the alternative transport arrangement made for players in the nation’s soccer, the Super Eagles to play a crucial qualifier in the Benin Republic some time ago.

As a testimony to this trend, a post was made online: “(if) the Lagos water ways are good enough for the Super Eagles, what stops you from hitting the waves?”

The terminal also provides a harbour experience for locals and visitors alike to get out and explore the city and admire its views.

Government efforts
Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the state government had continued its commitment to expanding inter-modal water, rail and transportation infrastructure facilities at Ipakodo, Ikorodu, as well as other parts of the state.

He disclosed this during the handing over of six 30-seater passenger boats and one utility boat the at Five Cowry Terminal in Ikoyi.

The renovation of the terminal is expected to present a “robust and accessible hub for the water transportation and other ancillary services that would engender convenience and safety, efficiency and effectiveness in water transportation experience for both the commuters and operators in Lagos State,” a statement said.

The imposing edifice is one of several moves to revamp water transportation as the government begins pilot operations of Ikorodu ferry terminal.

The statement added, “The terminal, when fully operational, will primarily provide an umbrella shelter for ferry logistics with ample and safe space for operators to load and offload passengers, goods and services.

“They will provide for the convenience of operators as well as the commuters, safety considerations like water ambulances and emergency rescue and water maintenance in collaboration with Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA).

“The facilities will also provide for recreation and shopping, banking, food court, parking, customer services, security, and well-maintained conveniences.”

The government said, “The pilot operations at the Ikorodu Ferry Terminal is essentially for boat and ferry operators and their passengers to have a feel of the facility ahead of a full go-live in April, 2018.”

The Director, Corporate Services, Ikorodu Terminal, Amina Agboola, said, “Our role is to work with the operators to ensure that this facility is maximised to help develop and grow water transportation in Lagos.

“We are very keen to provide efficient, safe and world class water transport solutions in Nigeria.”

Agboola added, “Indeed, the safety of operators, commuters, our team and visitors, is a strategic priority for us.

“We have put in place intelligent control measures which will reduce or eliminate hazards within the terminal.

“These measures will also take care of delays, eliminate rush, human errors, improve connectivity and provide a better customer experience.

“Our water ambulance service and rescue team are prepared to respond within the shortest time possible to any emergency situation.”

Also, the Chief Executive Officer Halo-Waters (Nigeria), operators of Commercial Water Transport (Lagos WaXi), Andrew Lana said, “It is a milestone in the journey of putting in place efficient inter-modal human and goods transportation system and specifically inland waterways transportation by the Lagos State Government through the provision of infrastructure and enabling environment that engender continuous private sector investments in the sector.

“The users of the terminal shall experience world class customer service, given the facilities and services promised by the operators of the terminal and commercial boats.”

He added that as an operator, “We are excited that finally, outbound and inbound passengers can experience convenient, safe and reliable water transport service in Ikorodu.”

The new hub will take some load and pressure off the roads leading to Lagos Island, Lekki and Ajah from Ikorodu, a high density town in the state.

Service routes

These include Ipakodo Terminal, Ikorodu to Five Cowries Terminal, Falomo in Ikoyi and

Ipakodo Terminal, Ikorodu to Ebute Ero Jetty, Elegbata (Lagos Island to Marina, CMS.

There is also a return trip outlet from Ajah in Eti Osa local government area to the Ijede jetty in Ikorodu.

Ferry Service routes

Check out the Ikorodu – Ebute Ero – CMS/Marina corridor, which operates three operational boats.

These are the type 60 pax catamaran ferry (1), which have a capacity for 60 passengers.

For the types 2 and 3 60-capacity boats, the same timetable hold.

For the Ikorodu – Falomo (Ikoyi) route, the fare is also N800, at N800, with 50-passenger Pax catamaran boats, berthing at the Ipakodo terminal in Ikorodu.

Two ferries are designated for this purpose.

Challenges

Customers groan about regularity of trips and thefts on board. Accidents are not ruled out, they say, seeking more protection by the state safety protection agency.