By LASWA, LASEMA, Safety Commission Collaborate To Mitigate Traffic Congestion During 3rd Mainland Bridge Closure
In preparation towards the partial closure of the 3rd Mainland Bridge, the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) on Monday, July 13, 2020, had a strategic session on Safety Procedures with the Lagos State Safety Commission and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).
The meeting which was at the instance of all the three State Agencies, had in attendance the General Manager, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Director General of Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC), Mr Lanre Mojola and that of DG Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Oke Osanyintolu.
According to information made available to BlackBox Nigeria, the discussions at the meeting centred around safety measures for Boat Operators and Passengers during the partial closure, effective ways to ease traffic congestion through the Inland Waterways and collaborative efforts to be put in place which include having Safety Marshals and Water Guards stationed at strategic jetties to implement safety protocols.
“Issues highlighted at the meeting also include strategic positioning of Rescue boats, Ambulances and other Safety Personnel at strategic locations while LASWA would embark on constant monitoring with its patrol boats to ensure strict enforcement of laid down rules and regulations,” read the statement issued by LASWA.
It will be recalled that the Federal government had said the Third Mainland Bridge will be closed for six months, come July 24, 2020. The last time the bridge was closed for an extended length of time was in August 2012 when a series of maintenance exercises were conducted over a period of three months.
BlackBox Nigeria gathered that according to the headcount carried out by the Ministry of Works, the Third Mainland bridge is estimated to have over 117,000 vehicles plying on it daily, closing the bridge will bring a lot of traffic to the Inland waterways.
