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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background of the Study

One of the challenges to the economics and special wellbeing of Nigerian in the past five years is the steady decline in the number of transport facilities nationwide. Nigeria is presently on the verge of an imminent crisis and a state of paralysis in transportation. The pattern of Nigerian urbanization has many implications on various areas of the country including determining the areas of road traffic origination and destination. Associated with these implications are various urban problems such as unemployment, housing problems, environmental pollution, transportation problems and general inadequacy of infrastructural facilities. This study however is interested in the aspect of urban transportation and its growth over a period of not less than 45 years in the country. Urban transport system can be viewed from two major areas, which are the intra-urban and interurban transport systems.

Intra-urban system as it existed today in Nigeria is  largely owned by private sector except Lagos and Port Harcourt where public sector also participates along side with the private sector. Until recently too, interurban transport system was wholly dominated by private owners. Urban mobility problems had been on the increase since independence. This is due to rapid increase in population in urban areas, which is not matched with growth in transport facilities such as road network, transport complimentary facilities, transport services and traffic management techniques. Thus urban transport problems have increasingly been noted since 1960, to be characterized by inadequate and inefficient services, long waiting time at bus stop, environmental pollution, traffic congestions, and bad roads, shortage of vehicles and the use of motorcycle as a means of urban passenger transport system.

Transportation problems as enumerated above have attracted several government commissioned studies like that of Max Lock, Master Plan for Gombe and Minna; Dar Al-Handasah for Okene, Gombe and Offa; Lea-Deleuw-Osot and Sigmud Grava for Lagos Metropolis. All these studies were intense and were carried out in the country between 1974 and 1978 for the major urban centers in the country as noted by Ogunsanya (1993). There were also non-commissioned studies in the area of transport research work conducted by the academic staff of universities and polytechnic and their students.

According to Ogunsanya (1993), the studies are multi-various in nature and multi dimensional in focus depending on the scholar’s discipline and their special area of interest. The nature of urban public transport problems in Nigeria as at today can best be appreciated by looking at the trend of its development since Nigeria came into existence.  This is particularly manifested the problems being experienced in our transportation modes such as airways, road and water ways are all over abrasive and are greatly experiencing a number of bottlenecks, and shortage either in rolling (Stocks, number of available public and private vehicles as well as shortage of space parks). Transportation and property are important in physical and economic development of towns and cities all over the world. Property and land values tend to increase in areas with expanding transportation networks, and increase less rapidly in areas without such improvements. Rapid and continued rise in housing and land prices are expected in cities with transportation improvements and rapid economic and population growth (Goldberg, 1970).

Man, nations, regions and the world would be severely limited in development without transportation, which is a key factor for physical and economic growth (Oyesiku, 2002). Transportation systems and land use are interdependent. Indeed findings of earlier studies indicate compelling and consistent connections amongst them (Ewing and Cervero, 2001; Polzin, 2004). According to Bailey, Mokhtarian, and Littlel (2008), transportation route is part of distinct development pattern or road network and mostly described by regular street patterns as an indispensable factor of human existence, development and civilization. The route network coupled with increased transport investment result in changed levels of accessibility reflected through Cost Benefit Analysis, savings in travel time, and other benefits. These benefits are noticeable in increased catchment areas for services and facilities like shops, schools, offices, banks, and leisure activities. Road networks are observed in terms of its components of accessibility, connectivity, traffic density, level of service, compactness, and density of particular roads. Level of service is a measure by which the quality of service on transportation devices or infrastructure is determined, and it is a holistic approach considering several factors regarded as measures of traffic density and congestion rather than overall speed of the journey (Mannering, Walter, and Scott, 2004).

Access to major roads provides relative advantages consequent upon which commercial users locate to enjoy the advantages. Modern businesses, industries, trades and general activities depend on transport and transport infrastructure, with movement of goods and services from place to place becoming vital and inseparable aspects of global and urban economic survival. Developments of various transportation modes have become pivotal to physical and economic developments. Such modes include human porterage, railways, ropeways and cableways, pipelines, inland waterways, sea, air, and roads (Said and Shah, 2008).

According to Oyesiku (2002), urbanization in Nigeria has a long history in its growth and development. Extensive development being a feature of the 19th and 20th centuries, with concentration of economic and administrative decision-making in Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna, Jos, and Enugu, and high degree of specialization and larger population associated with greater specialization of goods and services. Wyatt (1997) states that urban areas have tendency to develop at nodal points in transport network and places with good road network will possess relative advantage over locations having poor network. Urban locations with such relative advantage are found where different transport routes converge with high degree of compactness, connectivity, density, length and accessibility exhibited within the intra- and inter- urban road networks.

Bye and large, it should be noted that the nature of transportation system of any country is important in determining both the rural plan and the quality of life. In Nigeria, it is important to note that the rapid growth of our nation’s population, the problem of urbanization, the growth of industries and our commitment to rural development are factors that call for an effective implementation of the national transportation coordination policy.   

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Nigeria has experienced phenomenal growth in its transport facilities apart from the fact that over 20% of the nation’s national development plans, transport facilities have experienced massive growth with regards to road transport, for example total road length increased in quantity and quality from 4, 000km in 1991 to 72,000km in 1958, 113,100 in 1983 and in 1986, the total kilometer range yearly registration of the new motor vehicles grew from 20,000 in 1970 to 190,000 in 1977. this upward increase contrived for some time till 1979 when a decline became noticeable when only (though still high by third world standards) 80,000 was registered in 1979. The decline has continued and more parifully so to our citizens since the beginning of the structural adjustment programme when some price of vehicles have more than quadruped (Adeniyi, 1986). As of now, over 40% of the vehicles in the country are of the roads, as a result of old age or inability of their owners to maintain them owing to downturn of the economy and expensive spare parts. Additionally, another 20% is in a state of disrepair and may be off the road in the next one or two years. This situation continues to increase the pressure on public transport system and one goes through unpleasant sights in our villages where hundreds of people walk on foot because of bad road networks. Since transport is actually the pivot on which economic growth in any country revolves, the following questions comes to mind: what are the modes of transportation in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area? What are the problems of transportation in the study area? How have these problems been tackled in the past?

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study includes:

i.            To examine the concept of transportation

ii.           To examine the types of transportation in Edo State

iii.          To examine the problems facing transportation in Edo State

iv.         To proffer solutions to the problems facing transportation in Edo State.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be of significance in several ways. First and foremost, it will help government to have firsthand information on the construction and maintenance of roads, considering the fact that road transportation is of vital importance in the movement of people and goods in the society. Furthermore, the study will help transporters to acquire relevant skills towards improving their services. It will also be of help to the officials of the federal road safety corps ho are In charge of ensuring the safety of lives and the observances of traffic rules in our roads. 

1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following questions will be answered in the course of the study.

i.            What are the concepts of transportation in the study area?

ii.            What are the types of transportation in the study area

iii.          What are the transport problems in the study area?

iv.         How have these transport problems been?

1.6 RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

H0: There are problems facing land transportation in Edo State

H1: There is no problems facing land transportation in Edo State

H02: The concepts of transportation in the study area does not enhanced infrastructural development as most roads are motorable

H2: The concepts of transportation in the study area enhanced infrastructural development as most roads are motorable

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study shall cover the problems of transport in Uhunmwonde Local Government Area. In the cause of the study there were some factors which limited the scope of the study

a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study   

b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.

c) Finance: the finances at the disposal of the researcher was very limited, as such adversely affect the scope of the studies as more schools could not be integrated into the study.

1.8 OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF TERMS

Transportation

Transportation is the movement of humans, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land, water, cable, pipeline and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles and operations.

Road transportation

Road transport or road transportation is a type of transport by using roads. Transport on roads can be roughly grouped into the transportation of goods and transportation of people.

Road network

The road network is the system of interconnected roads designed to accommodate wheeled road going vehicles and pedestrian traffic

1.9 ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows

Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), historical background, statement of problem, objectives of the study, research hypotheses, significance of the study, scope and limitation of the study, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlights the theoretical framework on which the study is based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding. Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.   

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