This research work critically assesses the quality of urban road transportation system in Port Harcourt Metropolis. It does so by defining transportation as the means of conveying, conveyance or been conveyed from one place to another and it involves humans, animals and objects. It also addresses all necessary infrastructures that must be functional to make the transport system in the study area efficient. Excessive traffic demand is choking the study area even when car ownership is moderate due to poor city structure and narrow roads. Further, increased traffic demand is expected in the study area by the year 2030. The study in achieving its goal employed the mixed method design and the case study method, whereby both qualitative and quantitative research components were used in the data analysis and the central point of the findings is that the quality of road transport service in the study area is declining despite the recent development in the transportation sector. Hence, this study, advocates for more relevant and vital transportation infrastructures that will aid the efficiency of urban road transport services in Port Harcourt Metropolis and also the culture of maintenance should be inculcated to ensure its durability. The study concludes that quality of urban road transportation system in Port Harcourt Metropolis City will increase to a very high level and will in turn increase the economic state of the city if all relevant transport infrastructures and policies are put in place both by the state and federal government in Nigeria.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1.2. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1.3. AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.3.1. AIM OF THE STUDY
1.3.2. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
1.4. RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1.5. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.6. SCOPE OF THE STUDY
1.6.1. Geographical Scope
1.6.2. Context
1.7. STUDY AREA
1.7.1 Location and Size
1.8. LIMITATION OF STUDY
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL, CONCEPTUAL AND LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1.1. Multiple Nuclei Model
2.1.2. The Modal Choice
2.2. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
2.2.1. Transportation Infrastructure Situation in Nigeria: An Overview
2.2.2 Way forward for Improving Transport Infrastructure
2.2.3. Transportation and Economic Impact
2.2.4. Local Urban Road Classification in India
2.2.5. Benefits of Road Transport Infrastructure
2.2.6. Bus mass rapid transit (BRT)
2.3. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.3.1. M.K. Agarwal in his book ‘Urban Transportation in India’
2.4. RESEARCH GAP
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Research Design
3.3. Population and Sampling Size
3.4. Method of Data Collection
3.4.1 Sample Procedure
3.6. Validity of the Instrument
3.7 Data Analytical Techniques
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF RESULTS AND FINDINGS
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 PERSONAL INFORMATION OF RESPONDENTS
4.2.1: Distribution of respondents by sex
4.2.2: Age of respondents
4.2.3: Educational Status
4.2.4: Occupation of Respondents
4.3: GENERAL INFORMATION
4.3.1: General Information
4.3.2: Employment Status of Respondent
4.3.3: Frequently Used Means of Transportation
4.3.4: Do you own any means of Transportation
4.3.5: How often do you frequently use
4.3.6: How do you get to your nearest Bus Stop
4.3.7: Walking Distance to the Bus Stop
4.3.8: Road Users waiting time at Bus Stop
4.3.9: Challenges faced when using the Road
4.3.10: Most preferred means of road transportation
4.3.11: Heavy traffic congestion occurrence
4.3.13: Reasons for heavy traffic congestion
4.3.14: Quality of road transport service
4.4: KEY INFORMANT: NATIONAL UNION OF ROAD TRANSPORT WORKERS (NURTW)
4.4.1: Major causes of traffic congestion in Passenger Bus Service
4.4.2: How did you tackle the traffic challenge as a union
4.4.3: Personal opinion of heavy trucks on the traffic congestion
4.4.4: Rate the performance of road transport service
4.4.5: State government measures to tackle road transport challenge
4.4.6: Incorporation of the light truck (pickup trucks/delivery vans, etc) in the traffic management system.
4.5: KEY INFORMANT: NIGERIA RAILWAY CORPORATION RIVERS CHAPTER
4.5.1: Challenges of the railway corporation in modern times
4.5.2: How have the corporation tried to tackle this challenge
4.6: KEY INFORMANT: MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION
4.6.1: Challenges of the road transport system in recent times
4.6.2: How have the ministry tried to tackle the challenges
4.6.3: Rate the performance of the road transport services
4.6.4: Government plans of keeping the heavy trucks off the primary distributors of the city especially during peak hours
4.6.5: Government plan on empowering light trucks to take charge of delivery of road services especially during peak hours
4.6.6: Government plan on building ring roads for the city
4.7: KEY INFORMANT: TRUCK DRIVERS UNION NPA
4.7.1: Challenges of truck operation in recent times
4.7.2: How has the union tried to tackle this issue
4.7.3: Rate the performance of the truck operation
4.7.4: How have the union control the movement of trucks during the day especially during peak hours
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
5.1: DIFFERENT MEANS/MODES OF TRANSPORTATION IN USE AND THE MOST PREFERRED
5.2: PROXIMITY TO BUS STOP AND TIME SPENT BEFORE BOARDING A BUS
5.3: TRAFFIC CHALLENGE IN THE STUDY AREA
5.4: OCCURRENCE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND CAUSES OF HEAVY TRAFFIC CONGESTION
5.5: SATISFACTION TO QUALITY OF TRANSPORT SERVICE
CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
6.1 Conclusion
6.2 Recommendations
Objectives and Research Focus
The primary research goal is to critically assess the quality of the urban road transportation system in the Port Harcourt Metropolis to evaluate its current functional state and determine the specific improvements necessary for achieving an efficient and sustainable transport service.
- Analysis of existing urban transport infrastructure, including terminals and motor parks.
- Evaluation of current traffic management and road usage behaviors by commercial and private operators.
- Assessment of the impact of road infrastructure quality on the economic performance of the city and its residents.
- Investigation into the causes of peak-hour traffic gridlock and the role of heavy-duty vehicles in congestion.
- Development of actionable recommendations to enhance transportation efficiency and passenger satisfaction.
Excerpt from the book
1.1. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Transportation according to Hornby (2010) is conveying, or being conveyed or a means of conveyance from one place to another. It is the movement or displacement of persons, good and other movable possessions in time and space for a particular purpose. In human societies, this is not chaotically done because recognized paths marked out by individuals or the societies are usually followed (Sube, 2012).
Transportation is the easiest way of movement of humans, animals and goods from one location to another. This movement is done through the following modes, air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline and space. Transportation is the engine room of any society and hence provides room for effective socio-economic development and societal improvement (Ashenfelter and Card, 2015). According to Aweto (2015), transportation plays key role in urban development and nations building.
Road Transportation is a necessary end right from early history. The mobility of people and materials especially in the present days become one of the greatest needs that have to be adequately satisfied on our society and economy at large (Barke and Hare, 2014). Transportation is referred to as the engine of the economy. This means that without transportation management system, the entire economy will suffer stagnation (Adefolalu, 2007). Transportation helps to bridge the gap between producers, suppliers and industrial users as well as individual commuters. Transport has been likened to the human blood circulatory system whose healthy functioning is a necessary condition for the sustenance of human life (Adeniji, 2010). Transport systems provide a key to the understanding and operation of many other systems at any different scales (Bearse, 2016).
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION: This chapter defines transportation conceptually and contextualizes the importance of the urban road transport system for socio-economic development, while highlighting the specific challenges and problems encountered in the Port Harcourt Metropolis.
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL, CONCEPTUAL AND LITERATURE REVIEW: This chapter provides the theoretical foundation through the Multiple Nuclei Model and explores conceptual frameworks regarding road infrastructure in Nigeria and global transportation studies.
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: This chapter outlines the mixed-method research design, including data collection strategies through personal interviews, questionnaires, and case studies to analyze transport performance.
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION OF RESULTS AND FINDINGS: This chapter categorizes and discusses raw data from the field, including personal respondent information and insights from key transport stakeholders such as the transport unions and government ministries.
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS: This chapter evaluates the gathered findings against the study objectives, focusing on preferred transport modes, waiting times, traffic challenges, and general public satisfaction with services.
CHAPTER SIX: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: This chapter summarizes the study's conclusions regarding the inadequacy of existing infrastructure and proposes institutional, digital, and structural recommendations to improve transport efficiency.
Keywords
Urban transportation, road infrastructure, Port Harcourt, traffic congestion, transportation planning, public transit, transportation management, passenger satisfaction, socio-economic development, bus transit, transportation policy, road safety, urban mobility, transport performance, sustainable development.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary objective of this research?
The core objective is to conduct a critical assessment of the urban road transportation system in Port Harcourt to identify current inefficiencies and determine the necessary improvements for a more efficient and reliable service.
Which transportation issues are the main focus of this study?
The study focuses on poor road infrastructure, heavy traffic congestion, lack of adherence to traffic rules, unorganized bus and trucking operations, and the overall governance of the transport sector.
What research methodology does the author use?
The study employs a mixed-method research design, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative approaches, utilizing case study analysis, personal interviews, and a, structured questionnaire survey.
How is the data analyzed in the study?
The research relies on descriptive statistics, utilizing tables and percentage-based frequency distributions to interpret and present the survey data collected from road users.
What does the literature review cover?
The literature review encompasses transport theories like the Multiple Nuclei Model, the situation of transportation infrastructure in Nigeria, economic impacts of transport, and global perspectives on Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and road classification.
What are the definitive characteristics of this research?
It is a localized study targeting the Port Harcourt Metropolis, providing empirical evidence on commuter behavior, service quality metrics, and stakeholder perspectives, while offering practical guidelines for local government intervention.
How is the issue of heavy traffic congestion addressed in this study?
The study identifies specific causes, such as road construction, impatient driving behaviors, police checkpoints, and the presence of heavy-duty trucks, while linking these to the lack of dedicated management policies.
What role do transport unions play according to the research?
Transport unions are analyzed as key stakeholders who are responsible for operational management; the research highlights their challenges, such as interactions with law enforcement and their daily operational difficulties.
What recommendation is provided regarding digital infrastructure?
A significant recommendation is the creation of a digital, scheduled public transport system that would allow commuters to track buses in real-time and access scheduling information online or through physical displays.
How does the research assess quality?
Quality is assessed through a satisfaction framework that encompasses components like road condition, affordability, bus capacity, wait times at bus stops, and the availability of clear route information.
- Quote paper
- Chukwuebuka Okafor (Author), 2021, The Quality of the Urban Road Transportation System in Port Harcourt, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1289722
