Nigerian on-demand transportation company, Gokada, recently added luxury yacht service to its services.
The company, which started off as an on-demand motorbike hailing service in 2018 in Lagos with the aim of easing traffic, will now be providing boat rides alongside their Okada service.
Water transport service made easy: The company made the announcement via its social media pages. The boat service is targeted at commuters who ply between Lekki and Ikorodu.
Reason for this invention: According to to Gokada, this is a mission to provide comfortable transportation services whilst helping Lagosians to beat traffic.
Why it matters: Since a fifth of the land mass of Lagos is composed of water and many Lagosians already shuttle between long distances in ill-equipped boats, Gokada will take advantage of the opportunities that abound by providing safer water travels to Lagos residents. This will, in turn, benefit many people and as well engender economic growth.
Lagosians are excited: After Gokada’s announcement on social media, many Lagosians hailed the company as the future of Nigerian transportation. They believe that with services like the ones offered by the company, a change will occur in the transportation industry.
See some of Nigerians reaction on Twitter below.
Excited about the future of Transportation in Lagos State. Providing a seamless end to end, comfortable and last mile movement of people will improve economic efficiency and more. #GBoat #LagosBoats #LoveLagos https://t.co/oITfdANWpr
— Gossy (@gossyomega) June 10, 2019
Better late than never. A fifth of the land mass of Lagos is water. Grossly underutilized water. Safety and regulation need to be sorted out, of course, but this is clearly the future. https://t.co/eKv9p6x9x1
— Tolu Ogunlesi, MON (@toluogunlesi) June 11, 2019
What do you say to the god of traffic?
Your fada! Gokada!!— Nemo (@xynomen) June 10, 2019
However, some Nigerian are worried: Although this is an intriguing innovation by the Gokada team, many Nigerians are still bothered about the safety of the boats, and the people that would handle emergencies just in case the need arises.
Some Nigerians also questioned if the company’s staff are adequate enough to handle all the intricacies that would come with services like ‘Goboats‘.
I’m not excited.
Boats are a major source of pollution that never get the criticism they deserve because most people have no clue how much pollution boats simply dump into the sea.If they’re not eco-friendly, new developments be damned.
We can’t enjoy it if our planet dies.
— Sugabelly 🌕 (@sugabelly) June 10, 2019
Investment needs to also go into new jetties and boat piers, proper training of staff for emergencies and strict compliance to marine craft piloting. My last experience on a boat ride from sand fill to Ikorodu was not funny
— Ugo Okafor (@ijele5000) June 11, 2019
About Gokada: Gokada is an on-demand bike taxi service for a safe, affordable and smart ride in minutes. It uses a request ride feature to get people moving as soon as they want to. This makes it easier for Lagosians to move from point A to point B.