Effectiveness of LASTMA on Traffic Management
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the Study
The aim of this work is to look into the activities and achievements of LASTMA in Lagos since its creation and see whether it has been a success or a failure. Other specific objectives are:
- To determine if traffic congestion as reduce in Yaba routes–Ojota routes.
- To determine if driving culture as be impacted on motorist.
- To find out if LASTMA has had a positive effect on driving culture.
- To find out public perception about LASTMA operatives.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED AND RELEVANT LITERATURE
This Chapter conceptualized the two (2) key variables of the study and established their relationship. It also reviewed some literature relevant to the study in order to identify existing gap(s) which the research intends to fill. Furthermore, the chapter concludes with the theoretical framework for analysis of the study.
Conceptual Discourse
The two (2) key variables in this study are Traffic Management (TM) and Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) which are the independent and dependent variables, respectively. These variables are conceptualized and their relationship established to provide a better understanding of the context in which they are used in this study.
Road Traffic Management
The concept of Road Traffic Management (RTM) has been defined differently by various scholars, authors and institutions with each definition towing the line of thought of each writer. The concept of traffic management considered in this study includes that of Soares, Shinar, and Federal Road Safety Corps.
According to Soares, Vrancken and Wang (2013), Road Traffic Management refers to `the complex, large socio-technical systems that influence traffic by using a variety of actuators such as traffic signals and variable message signs, based on acquired data using various types of sensors such as video cameras and inductive loop. This definition only considers the use of traffic control devices and other physical aspects of road traffic management. However, it does not consider factors such as the safety of humans, properties and other road users in relation to the road traffic crashes which are important to this study. It is therefore not suitable for this study.
Shinar (2007) in his book “Traffic Safety and Human Behavior” defines road traffic management as the practice of managing the existing traffic environment to allow contractors to perform work safely without the possibility of incident or injury through conflict with traffic flows. This definition is a short sighted depiction in that it only considered the safety of road contractors as the objective of road traffic management leaving out the general safety of other road users which is vital to this study, hence, it is not considered.
Furthermore, the Federal Road Safety Corps (2014) defines road traffic management as “all activities, human and technological, that are put in place to ensure optimisation of safe and delay-free movement of people and goods from one destination to another in good time and condition for the prosperity of all‟‟. This definition is comprehensive. It views traffic management as an inter-connected activity between people, technology and processes for the safety of road users. This, it noted is the primary objective of road traffic management.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to examine the effectiveness of LASTMA on Traffic Management.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
- Primary source and
- Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information regarding palm oil trade and its socioeconomic impacts. Two hundred (200) LASTMA officials from several locations in Lagos were selected randomly by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
Data Analysis
The data collected from the respondents were analyzed in tabular form with simple percentage for easy understanding.
A total of 133(one hundred and thirty-three) questionnaires were distributed and 133 questionnaires were returned.
TEST OF HYPOTHESES
Ho: The establishment of LASTMA in Lagos has no significant effect on traffic congestion.
Hi: The establishment of LASTMA in Lagos has significant effect on traffic congestion.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
Data Analysis
The data collected from the respondents were analyzed in tabular form with simple percentage for easy understanding.
A total of 133(one hundred and thirty-three) questionnaires were distributed and 133 questionnaires were returned.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
INTRODUCTION
It is important to reiterate that the objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of LASTMA on traffic management. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in examining the effectiveness of LASTMA on traffic management.
SUMMARY
This study was undertaken to examine the effectiveness of LASTMA on traffic management. The study opened with chapter one where the statement of the problem was clearly defined. The study objectives and research hypotheses were defined and formulated respectively. The study reviewed related and relevant literatures. The chapter two gave the conceptual framework, empirical and theoretical studies. The third chapter described the methodology employed by the researcher in collecting both the primary and the secondary data. The research method employed here is the descriptive survey method. The study analyzed and presented the data collected in tables and tested the hypotheses using the chi-square statistical tool. While the fifth chapter gives the study summary and conclusion.
CONCLUSIONS
A typical description of the Lagos traffic is a situation with high number of queuing cars driving at a very slow speed and leaving commuters with longer trips. One of such routes where traffic hits is the Yaba routes and Ojota routes. The desire to provide solution to this situation and ease commuters the stress led to the establishment of LASTMA. The role of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) was to control and manage traffic proceedings in Lagos state. The findings of this study shows that LASTMA has made useful and significant progress in the control of traffic in Yaba and Ojota routes. Evidently, traffic has not been totally eliminated from these routes, however, the LASTMA has been able to bring order and control to the situation unlike previously times without the presence of LASTMA. The hypothesis test reveals that the establishment of LASTMA have had significant positive effect on traffic congestion in Lagos state. The test further revealed that the establishment of LASTMA have had significant contribution to the reduction of road accidents in the Yaba and Ojota route and other parts of Lagos state. Finally, the study proves that while the impartation of safe driving culture is a continuous process for LASTMA, individual drivers have been continually made to understand the importance of safe driving and its implication for the safety of lives and property. This study therefore concludes that the Lagos state traffic management authority has been effective in towards traffic congestion and control in Lagos state.
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