Optimizing Emergency Responses on Water Transport Accidents in Metropolitan Lagos

Abstract

The concerns for safety have been perceived to limit the potentials of Inland Water Transportation (IWT) to serve as a complement to road transportation. This is because of the increasing rate of inland water accidents without an adequate emergency response plan in place to mitigate loss.  This study evaluated the emergency responses to water transport accidents in metropolitan Lagos. Primary data which comprises of direct observation, interviews and the use of questionnaire was adopted for the research. Mixed methods were adopted for the study and the sample population comprises of inland water transport passengers, boat operators and officials of the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA). Purposive sampling method alongside quota and convenient sampling methods was used to sample Three Hundred and Eighty-Four (384) respondents from Nine Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy-Six (9,676) passengers across the selected jetties (Liverpool, Falomo, Ebute-Ikorodu and Ebute-Ojo) using Yamane’s sampling technique and Three Hundred and Eleven (311) copies of questionnaire were retrieved which represents 81% of the total administered. Fifty-Two (52) LASWA officials were also surveyed at the selected jetties to collaborate with findings from the interviews of senior staff members of LASWA, boat operators and passengers. Descriptive statistical tools and one-way independent ANOVA from the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) 24 was used for the analysis.  Findings from the study revealed that inland waterways passengers are more interested in arriving at their destination on time and that they enjoy shorter travel distances and are willing to pay up to a 50% increase in the transport fare. The statistical comparison of the responses from passengers and the LASWA officials using the one sample t-stat test, revealed that both groups have convergent responses as their P-values <5% with t-stat values >1.960 of t-stat value in t-distribution table. The study concluded that emergency responses on the Lagos inland waterways exist in principle, but its practice is very poor due to inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, poor technical skills, low supply of emergency response officers and as such the study recommended that LASWA should carry out regular sensitization about the advantages of IWT and the safety architecture in place; LASWA should conduct boat worthiness checks every three (3) months and improve on their safety checks especially during the rainy season; establishment of a boating institute to certify.

Keywords: Accident, Water Transport, Risk, Visibility

DOI: 10.7176/DCS/9-1-08

Publication date:July 31^st 2024