Why Tarzan Boats is Urging Commuters to Travel Before Nightfall

Light Nwobodo

As the sun slips behind the horizon, the mood along Lagos’ waterways quietly changes. The bustle of the jetties thins, engines slow, and the water takes on a darker, more unpredictable character. For many commuters, the urge to make one last crossing remains strong. But for Tarzan Boats, nightfall marks a point where caution must outweigh convenience.

According to the Managing Director of Tarzan Jetties, Engr. Ganiyu Shekoni Balogun, night travel on inland waterways carries risks that are often underestimated by regular users. Visibility drops sharply, familiar routes become harder to navigate, and response time in the event of an emergency is significantly reduced.

“Once it gets dark on the water, everything changes,” he explains. “What feels like a normal trip in daylight can quickly become dangerous at night.”

For commuters who use boats daily, night crossings often feel routine. The distances are short, the waters familiar, and the pressure to get home or complete the day’s activities is real. Yet this sense of familiarity, Balogun warns, can be misleading. Water conditions can shift without warning, and when something goes wrong after dark, help is not always close at hand.

It is against this backdrop that Tarzan Boats has taken the deliberate decision to restrict night operations. The company’s last boat departs Baduri at 6p.m., while Ejede’s final trip leaves at 6:30p.m. These times, Balogun says, are set to ensure passengers complete their journeys while visibility remains clear enough for safe navigation.

“If it were only about profit, we could keep operating late into the night,” he says. “But safety must always come before money.”

The policy has not been without challenges. Some passengers express frustration when they miss the last boat or are forced to adjust their schedules. Others question why services cannot be extended to meet demand.

Balogun responds that responsible transport sometimes means refusing to take risks, even when it is unpopular. “Saying no to night travel is not about denying service,” he notes. “It is about protecting lives—both passengers and crew.”

Behind this stance lies a deeper understanding of the human cost of waterway accidents. Tragedies on inland waters often leave lasting scars on families and communities. Many incidents begin as ordinary trips, taken with little thought to danger. For operators who have witnessed the aftermath of such events, prevention becomes a moral responsibility rather than a business choice.

By urging commuters to plan their movements earlier and respect departure times, Tarzan Boats is calling for shared responsibility on the waterways. Safety, Balogun emphasises, is not the duty of operators alone. Passengers also play a role by cooperating with guidelines designed to protect them.

As evening settles and the last boats return to the jetty, the water grows quiet. The stillness serves as a reminder that travel is not only about reaching a destination, but about doing so safely. For Tarzan Boats, closing operations before nightfall is a commitment to ensuring that every journey ends the way it should—with passengers arriving home alive and well.