The Lagos State Government has launched its Cowry Cards for use in its ferry services and make all means of transportation more accessible to the residents of the state.
The General Manager, Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), Mr Oluwadamilola Emmanuel, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.
He said that the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, launched the Cowry Cards on ferry services during the inauguration of newly purchased standard ferry boats on Tuesday.
“The Cowry Cards are used to integrate our transportation mode. So, the same type of cards you use on First and Last Mile buses, the Premerio system are what you will use to board the ferry services.
“We are starting with the Lagos Ferry Services and we are going to extend it to all over ferry operators on our waterways.
“The cowry cards will serve as cards you can use in the different modes of transaction and eventually when the rail picks up as well, that is the same card you will use for rail service,” Emmanuel said.
The LASWA boss said that they would ensure the cowry cards worked perfectly before introducing it into ferry services to enable them win their customers’ trust.
Emmanuel said that at present, the authority was reviewing the experience of cowry card on other means of transportation and that they would perfect it before integrating it into the ferry services.
He said that assessment had been done about the wreck removal from the wayerways adding that both the Federal and State Government have been collaborating on continuous removal of wrecks since five-years ago and is still ongoing.
Emmanuel explained that the state government through its Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure and Development embarked on expanding the routes and ensuring that the waterways are safe and navigable for commercial use.
He said that LASWA as an agency, was promoting park and ride, saying that they have parking facilities at all the jetties where their customers can park their vehicles in the mornings to board the ferries to their places of work and pick them up after work in the evenings. (NAN)
