Assessing the Causes of Urban Transportation Challenges in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana

Author(s)

Emmanuel Kwabena Anin , Jonathan Annan , Otchere Fianko Alexander ,

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Volume 2 - June 2013 (06)

Abstract

Due to its capacity to create place utility and contribute to time utility, both of which are necessities for economic and social development, transportation as a logistical driver of supply chain is indispensable in the contemporary world. Within the realm of supply chain, it does not only constitute one of the largest logistical costs but also and crucially, accounts for significant portion of the cost of products and services. Effective transportation system reflects in efficient logistic system and socio-economic development at large. However, it seems the reverse is the case in the Kumasi metropolis and negatively affects business and social activities within the metropolis. This study examines the factors that lead to the challenges of transportation system in the Metropolis. The study used primary data from field survey using questionnaire instrument. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. It was found that transport infrastructure appeared to be inadequate as most of the road sections have reached critical capacity, where the volume of traffic flow appeared more than the road networks can handle in some sections of the roads. Also, the traffic management system appeared less effective whilst the mass transit services were seen to be inadequate to meet travel demands contributing to the transportation challenges. It is recommended, therefore that, city authorities should improve on the existing transport infrastructure and expand the mass transit services within the metropolis. 

Keywords

Transportation challenges, Urban Transportation System, Transport infrastructure, Traffic Management, Mass Transit Services, Kumasi Metropolis

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