P20 Understanding the link between transportation service delivery and utilization in Nigeria: A case study of Delta State

Abstract

BackgroundTransportation is important in developing any society. Many Nigerians lack effective and efficient transportation service delivery despite the advances in technological know-how in the world. There is absence of a system for effective communication between the transport service providers and users. This study focuses on public road transportation and attempts to understand the link between transport service delivery and its utilization, relative to establishing a ‘direct call services system’ for transportation services in Nigeria.The objectives of this study are to determine the prospect of a model transport service scheme in Nigeria that links transport service providers and users; and to determine the major challenges encountered by transport service providers and users. MethodsThis qualitative cross-sectional study adopted focus group discussions for gathering information and the stratified purposeful sampling technique was used to get the sample. Questions were administered in a discussion format to transport service providers, and transport service users separately, each comprising two groups of participants. ResultsEighteen road transport users were involved in this study, 8 and 10 persons in the first and second focus groups respectively. Overall, 14 (77.78%) participants were willing to use the services while 4 (22.22%) were not. There were 14 road transport providers, 7 in each focus group, and all participants were willing to provide services through the scheme if available. The study showed that both transport service providers and users are likely to be interested in an innovative scheme involving the operations of a call center that could link them together.The major transportation challenges mentioned include: bad roads, poor road network, inefficient vehicles, drivers exploiting passengers, inexperienced drivers, restriction to cabs, insecurity, fuel scarcity, unreliable motor parks, high cost of transportation, poor financing of the transport industry, disturbance by law enforcement agents, touts and local government officials, and difficulty with vehicle maintenance. ConclusionsTransportation planning and application of information and communication technologies system can enhance transportation service delivery in Nigeria. A good understanding of transport economics in relation to consumer behavior can drive innovative ideas to develop the transport service industry and improve quality of life of the public.