A SURVEY OF MODAL SPLIT IN LAGOS METROPOLITAN AREA.

Abstract

Transportation and property are important in physical and economic development of towns and cities all over the world. Hence, property and land values tend to increase in areas with expanding transportation networks and increase less rapidly in areas without such benefits of integrated transport systems. Interconnectivities in modes of transport have potency of creating a balance and sustainable transport in cities and this could be facilitated by intermodal transport concept. In Nigeria today, it is only in Lagos that we have a functional integrated transport system like “Rail-Road-Water system” or “Air- Road-Rail-Road-Water System”. Intermodal connectivity has taken appreciable dimensions in developed economies such as Britain, France, and United States of America and it is easily seen in their growth and trade within their states and with other economies. Transport services in Nigeria are not as organized as one would expect them to be as they are being operated disjointedly with little planning, organization and control. Since they are not integrated, they cannot form a system and therefore cannot operate as a system. However, this study assesses intermodal transportation and modal choice in trip generation and distribution in Lagos State. The study identified the various modes of transportation system available in Lagos as well as major sources of the commuter trip generation and how they are distributed in Lagos. The volume- share per mode in the major commuting arteries in Lagos was taken into consideration while, the most significant factors that influences modal choice by commuters was determined. Sample size of 8562 was stratified into sub-sample. Questionnaire was administered to commuters to seek the factors that were most significant in their choice of mode. Study revealed that 4% of the study sample commute by walking; 11% commute using their private cars; 19 % used buses; 5% used trains; 3 % used ferry; 12 % used motorcycle and 11% of the sample used shared cars. Modal split and mix were seen to very significant in all the areas. The most significant factor is number of cars available to the households. It had the lowest p-value of 3.16E. The cost of making trips was the most significant factor with p-value of 2.1E-06. The study conclude that Lagos State needs to do more to attract many more users to the use of public transportation, improve the time spent at and efficiency of interchange. The study recommends that the points of interchanges be made to efficiently transfer traffics from each other. Also, the development of rail line to link Alimosho to the existing rail tracks of the Nigerian railway Corporation should be done. This will further help to reduce the number of cars on Lagos roads and divert traffic off the roads to the rail mode of transport.