An Evaluation of Bus Adequacy and Supply Along Badagry – Iyana Iba Expressway
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the study
The main objective of the study is to evaluate the bus adequacy and supply along Badagry – Iyana Iba expressway.
The specific objectives of this study will be subjected to these selected points:
- to examine the demographic characteristics of commercial bus operators in the study area;
- analyze the types of services and level of efficiency of commercial bus services along the study area;
- evaluate the effects of the traffic management techniques on the commercial bus services along the study area;
- analyze the perception of commercial bus drivers on the effectiveness of traffic management techniques in the study area.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
The theory of “predict and provide”, “predict and prevent” as postulated by Goodwin (1997) is synonymous with problem of urban traffic management. According to Goodwin (1997) the axiom was: first we forecast how much traffic there will be, and then we build enough road space to accommodate it. This was the axiom, according to Goodwin (1997) that aided the rapid and huge expansion of road capacity, which eventually produced the national network of motorways in England. This is a process of meeting the travel demand by supply of additional road infrastructures. However, the flaw of this programme anywhere in the world is that it has never kept pace with traffic growth.
Conceptual framework
Road traffic congestion is imminent when users of a particular facility begin to interfere with other users, due to the limited capacity of the infrastructure. (Buton, 1982; Sadiq, 1999, Varaiya, 2005). Again, traffic congestion on a freeway sets in once the density of vehicles exceeds a certain critical number. Since the addition of a single car to a road that has already reached its saturation level will result in “dead-weight”, that is road traffic congestion. Above the dead weight, both vehicle speed and vehicle flow will drop precipitously thereby making travel time between two points on the road in question to become unpredictable. Other related problems include fluctuating transportation cost, excessive fuel consumption as well as aggravated auto-induced pollution. This are noticeable phenomenon on Lagos roads.
Ogunsanya (2002) conceptualised traffic congestion as when urban road network could no longer accommodate the volume of traffic using it. This situation is usually caused by rapid growth in motorization with less than corresponding improvements in the road network and related facilities. However, Roth (1999) agreed that traffic congestion usually result in a situation whereby too many cars are occupying the same amount of road space available during a given time. In the same vein, Ortuzar and Wilumsen (1990) stated that one of the most important features of transport supply is congestion. In other words, the higher the numbers of new roads provided as panacea to congestion, the higher the demand for travel. Consequent to these past studies, road traffic congestion in this study is conceptualized as vehicular traffic impediment to free movement of persons and/or goods from one location to the other in an urban environment.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The study employs quantitative descriptive research design to examine the bus adequacy and supply along badagry – iyana iba expressway
Sources of data
Two major data sources were used for this study, secondary and primary data. The secondary data used for this study include published and processed information gathered about the study area. Furthermore, primary source of data include physical observation of the spatial distribution of road networks within the study area, identification of traffic bottlenecks, traffic volumes during peak period, road design (width of the carriageway) and identifying the existing traffic management techniques vis a vis the government personnel controlling traffic within the zones (e.g LASTMA, POLICE Traffic Warden, FRSC, Local Government Traffic Officers).
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
Educational background of the respondents
Illustration of figure 4.1 shows that, the educational background of operators in the study area revealed that 32% have primary school education, 42% have secondary school education, and 20% have diploma/NCE education, while 6% have university education.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary
This research had examined the perception of bus adequacy and supply along badagry – iyana iba expressway, Lagos state. The study focused on the activities and operations of the traffic agents and transport operators along the study area.
Conclusion
This study has shown that road traffic congestion has been the major problem for effective flow of activities within Lagos state especially along the Iyana Iba section of the Badagry expressway. This has been compounded by the absence of effective traffic management techniques (such as: BRT scheme, Park and ride, electronic traffic control devices multistorey parks at garages and off-road bus stop facility) in the study area. This reduces the free flow of traffic and vehicle turn-over in the area especially during this ongoing road expansion project.
The study also found that one of the reasons why many of the commuters spend between 30 minutes to 1 hour at bus stops before finally boarding vehicles to their various destinations as well as spent 1hour to 2hours along their journey is the serious traffic congestion along the study section of the expressway. However, the presence of the traffic control officers in the zone has been found to be inadequate in combating the challenges of traffic congestion in the zones. This has indicated that there is the need for more traffic officers for wider presence and the use of effective coordination and modern management techniques to address the traffic situation in the study area.
Recommendations
In order to find sustainable solutions to the challenges of traffic management and commuting difficulty along Iyana Iba section of the Badagry expressway, the following recommendations are proffered to the government and transport stakeholders: The use of modern traffic management techniques such as the: BRT scheme, Park and ride, off-road bus stop facility should be immediately implement along the Badagry expressway. Multi-story car park should be introduced to bus stops such as Iyana-Iba, Okokomaiko, Iyana Iba garage. This will promote off-road parking for loading passengers especially for the interstate operators. More traffic control officers should be deploy along the Iyana Iba section to ensure free flow of traffic and vehicle turn-over in the area especially during this ongoing road expansion project. Laybys of adequate capacity should be provided at Agbara, Iyana-Ira, Isashi, Okokomaiko, Iyana-Iba, Volkswagen, Agric junction, Barracks, Abule-Ado, Alakija, Agboju, Mazamaza and mile 2. Traffic managers along the study area should increase their monitoring and enforcement techniques to discourage the abuse of traffic rules and road obstructions.Traffic Information System (TIS) should be implemented urgently in Lagos state in order to promote functional road usage. There must be adequate monitoring and assessment of traffic officers’ performance at their duty post along the study area.
REFERENCES
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- Adalemo,I.A (1981), ‘The Physical Growth of Metropolitan Lagos and Associated Planning Problems’, in Oyeleye, D.A (ed) Spatial Expansion and Concomitant Problems in the Lagos Metropolitan Area (An Example of a Rapidly Urbanising Area),Lagos. University of Lagos Press, Nigeria.
- Adedimila A. S., (1987): “Towards Improving Traffic Flow in Lagos:” Transportation in Nigerian National Development, Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research conference, 1987, Ibadan.
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- Balogun Y. T. Odumosu and R. Ojo (1999): Lagos State In Maps. Rex Charles and Connel Publications, Ibadan, Nigeria.
