The Managing Director of Tarzan Jetties, Tarzan Marine Enterprises Limited and President of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), Engineer Ganiyu Shekoni Balogun (Tarzan),  has called on commuters on waterways of Lagos, and other parts of Nigeria to always adhere to the safety  instructions  by boat operators while in the boats, most especially on the issue of wearing life jackets.  He said the safety protocols which the boat operators are warned to strictly enforce are for the safety of commuters being transported from one jetty to the another.

Tarzan, who is also a Board of Trustee (BoT) member of the Association of Tourism Practitioners of Nigeria (ATPN) said one of the biggest dangers to passengers face daily while on the boats is the refusal of some passenger to wear life jacket: “We face this problem daily. Some passengers, despite the appeal by the boat driver, would simply refuse to wear life jacket.

It is important for them to know that accidents can happen in water transportation, just like any other means of transportation. The chances of survival on water are very high when the passenger is on a life jacket than when he or she is not wearing any.

“Most the fatal cases of accident on water that claimed so many lives have a lot to do with the passengers not wearing life jackets. We spend huge amount of money to buy these jackets for passengers’ safety. We are therefore appealing to them to always help us to improve safety on our waterways by always wearing them.”

Tarzan also encourages his members and other boat operators to always enforce the wearing of life jackets by passengers while they are on duty.”