Abstract
Intra-urban travel is basic to urban residents. It is occasioned by the need of urban residents to carry out their activities in different places either by necessity or by choice. The magnitude of trips generated depends on the complex interaction of socio-economic characteristics of the cities and those of their residents. However, existing knowledge on the subject matter seems to concentrate on the latter to the sheer neglect of the former. This study therefore examines factors of intra-urban trip generation with emphasis on socio-economic characteristics of urban centres as well as those of urban residents. The study is based on both secondary and primary data from 14 selected urban centres of the state. Secondary data on 16 factors of growth of city were collected. These include population, industrial establishments, educational institutions, recreation and sporting services, postal and telecommunication services, health care services and shopping services. Primary data, through questionnaire survey were collected on socio-economic characteristics of urban residents and their trip generation frequency. 2,100 well completed questionnaires were analysed for this study. Simple bivariate correlation and multiple regression analyses were employed to examine the relationships between socio-economic characteristics of urban centres and trips generation. Similar analyses were also employed in the examination of the nature and extent of relationship between socio-economic characteristics of residents and trips generated. Principal component analysis was used in reducing socioeconomic variables of the urban centres. The socio-economic characteristics of urban centres provide a greater explanation of the criterion with 53.80 % (F=13.982 P ≤ 0.05) while socio-economic characteristics of residents provide 46.20% (F=137.62 P ≤ 0.01) of the explanation. The study establishes the need for caution among transport researchers in using socio-economic characteristics of urban residents as major determinants of urban travel especially in the developing countries.
Highlights
Human travel is inevitable; it represents an expression of an individual’s behavior and as such, has the characteristics of being habitual
Urban travel takes place when inhabitants of urban centres carry out their different activities in different places either by necessity of by choice
Spatial choice behaviour is increasingly being influenced by such factors as socio-economic characteristics and environmental factors
Summary
Human travel is inevitable; it represents an expression of an individual’s behavior and as such, has the characteristics of being habitual. As a habit, it tends to be repetitive and the repetition occurs in definite pattern [9]. Cost-minimizing or utility maximizing principles have been applied in explaining and predicting travel and spatial choice behavior. Economic decision criteria used to be the central issues in analysing regional and urban travel behavior. With increasing industrialization as well as urbanization amongst nations, locational and mobility choices are increasingly less guided by purely economic-oriented criteria. Spatial choice behaviour is increasingly being influenced by such factors as socio-economic characteristics and environmental factors. Allocation and choice pattern have displayed on increasing heterogeneity and diversity among spatial actors, the question of scale of analysis becomes crucial [24]
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