Volta Lake: Boat owners to insure vessels

Boat owners on the Volta Lake will be required to insure their boats before they will be permitted to ply their trade, the Pru District Security Council (DISEC) has said.

The directive is part of several others arrived at by the Security Council after it met Tuesday May 31. According to DISEC, the move is to avert, or at least minimise, the impact of accidents on the lake.

On Sunday May 29, a boat carrying at least 67 passengers capsized with officials putting the death toll at 15.

The four-day search for bodies in the lake came to an end Wednesday June 1.

Speaking to Class News, District Chief Executive (DCE) for Pru Emmanuel Kwame Sarfo said DISEC after the meeting came out with a number of resolutions which include insuring the boats and making it mandatory for all boat operators to provide passengers with life jackets.

“It came to light that many of the boats are not even registered with the assembly. They just build the boat and put it on the lake so at the meeting we decided that we register all the boats so that we can identify them when there is any incident,” he said.

Mr Sarfo further said: “One of the problems, too, was with overloading. So, we talked that they should tighten their surveillance when they are loading to make sure that they load according to standard because we got to know many of the accidents are caused by overloading.

“Then the use of the life jacket. Next week, we are meeting all the boat owners and we will make it mandatory for every canoe owner to procure life jackets for the boat so that if such an incident should happen at all, the casualties will be minimal.

“We are also trying to ensure that the boat owners insure their boats because, as at now, if there is any incident, the affected people are not given any compensation.”

Mr Sarfo said they would educate the people on the importance of wearing life jackets on the boats.

“We have to educate people to wear the life jackets. Either we move from community to community to educate them or we gather them and then educate them,” he said.