Exploring Barriers and Prospects of Bicycle Transportation: A Case Study of a Ghanaian University Campus

Abstract

AbstractCycling as a form of sustainable transportation continues to experience only marginal growth in Ghana owing to the perception of it being a mode of commute for the poor. Besides this factor are the lack of supportive infrastructure and the negative cultural stereotypes that limit individuals’ adoption of cycling. University campuses, however, present a distinct opportunity to provide a different perspective on bicycling. This is partly because university campuses are relatively smaller communities in their own right, having spatially separated activities that require members to travel on a daily basis. The pro-active educational environments of campuses, however, make them ideal settings for championing sustainable transportation practices. Additionally, universities provide a critical mass of young people, many of whom are willing to experiment with new ideas, including, perhaps, culturally limited modes of transport, such as bicycling. This chapter shares insights from a recent study that sought to evaluate the factors underlying bicycle ridership on the campus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana, and the prospects for bicycle use among students. The study considered current psychosocial perceptions and some specific infrastructural challenges limiting the use of bicycles. The results showed that bicycle ownership and use on the University campus was very low (7.4%) although, the majority of the respondents (85%) also expressed willingness to use bicycles on campus if the required infrastructure was provided in support of bicycling, to guarantee rider safety. It is recommended that the university implements some minor infrastructural improvements (such as the covering of open roadside drains) that help to increase the roadway width available to cyclist, and improve feelings of safety. Further, an on-campus bicycle share scheme could be piloted to make bicycles available to interested cyclists and, through this, help determine the real adoption intentions of commuters on campus.KeywordsBicycleTransportationUniversityGhanaSub-Saharan Africa