Following the #EndSARS protests that rocked some parts of Rivers State last week, boat operators in the state are now counting their losses.
The boat operators lamented that passengers deserted the jetties for fear of being attacked by hoodlums who hijacked the peaceful #EndSARS protests to unleash terror on the citizens.
The Tide reports that low patronage got worse at the jetties when the state government, last Wednesday, imposed a 24-hour curfew in some troubled parts of the state, thereby restricting movement of persons and vehicular activities in some areas.
Our correspondent, who went round some of the jetties in the state reports that few passengers were seen at the Port Harcourt/Bonny Jetty last Friday boarding boat to Bonny  Island.
There was also a lull in activities at Abonnema Jetty, where less than 10 passengers were waiting to board boats to various destinations.
Speaking to The Tide on the effects of the #EndSARS protests and restriction order, Jack Green, a boat operator, said the no movement order impacted negatively on their operations.
Green said since last week, it had been difficult for boat drivers to load two boats to Bonny Island per day, unlike before the protest, when over 15 boats were loading passengers to the Island.
He noted that the low patronage had forced most drivers off the business.
Green, however, said that despite the low patronage, drivers were  still charging N2,200 per person per trip to Bonny.
He appealed to the state government to relax the curfew so as to enable passengers patronise the jetties across the state.
The driver also urged the protesting youths to shun violence and desist from vandalizing public property in the name of #EndSARS protests in the state.

Chinedu Wosu