Commercial boat drivers in Rivers State have expressed dismay over low patronage by passengers, occasioned by the spread of Coronavirus pandemic in the country.
The drivers said only four boats now load from Port Harcourt jetty to Bonny Island.
Our correspondent who visited  the jetty and others on Wednesday reports that scanty passengers were seen boarding to Bonny and other riverine communities.
Speaking  to The Tide, a mariner, Comrade Kingdom Dimm, who works with Bonny Maritime Transport Association (BMTA) said before the pandemic, over 20 boats were loading from Port Harcourt city to Bonny Island on daily basis.
He said the virus had reduced the number of passengers boarding to the Island
“Before COVID-19 pandemic, we were  recording about  20 to 30 boats from Port Harcourt to Bonny, but now only four boats loads to the Island”, he said.
On the safety of passengers boarding the boats, he said every passenger and driver washes his or her hands and apply sanitizers to keep safe.
He disclosed that the jetty now closes by 5pm daily even as the operators adhere to the government’s directives on how to tackle the pandemic in the state.
He said BMTA still maintained its normal fare of N2,200 per passenger and insisted that the union would not increase its fare.
The mariner who decried recent attacks by pirates along the waterways, called on the Navy and Marine police to beef up security along the creeks, channels and routes across the state to ensure safety of lives and property.