THE CHALLENGES FACED BY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES IN ABUJA (A CASE STUDY ON THE OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMERCIAL OPERATORS, JABI PARK, ABUJA) Abstract The study was carried out on the challenges faced by commercial vehicles in Abuja. The study concentrated on commercial vehicles drivers that operate buses who are members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) operating in Jabi Park, Abuja as well as their passengers. The study employed quantitative descriptive research design. The study employed both primary and secondary sources of data. A twenty three (23) item questionnaire divided into three (3) parts was used to elicit information from commercial drivers and passengers in Jabi Park, Abuja. The feedback generated were coded and recorded in a database after which they were analyzed using the Statistical Program for Social Studies (SPSS) version 15.0. Frequency of responses to all the questions in the questionnaire were computed and presented in tables, chats and graphs. The study concluded that commercial vehicle operators are faced with various challenges that affect road transportation. The study recommended that Road infrastructure in Nigeria should be completely rehabilitated and\/ or reconstructed. Also, a synergy aimed at ensuring improved professionalism of commercial drivers should be formed. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 CONCEPT OF TRANSPORTATION 2.2 TRANSFORMATION AGENDA 2.3 COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE 2.4 COMMERCIAL MOTOR DRIVER 2.5 TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSFORMATION AGENDA: A NEXUS 2.6 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN 3.2 SOURCES OF DATA 3.3 SAMPLING AND POPULATION 3.4 SAMPLING TECHNIQUE 3.5 SAMPLING SIZE 3.6 INSTRUMENT APPLIED ON SAMPLE SIZE 3.7 METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS CHAPTER FOUR: DATA PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATION 4.1 PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 4.2 DISCUSSION OF THE OBJECTIVES USING FINDINGS CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 5.2 CONCLUSION 5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS REFERENCES CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Transportation is one of the key sectors that play crucial role in achieving the goals of poverty eradication and sustainable development. The impact of transportation on development in various segments of the economy is not in doubt. It has been acknowledged that high quality transport system is a necessary precondition for the full participation of remote communities in the benefit of national development (Alex, Pearl and others, 2006:9). The transport needs of major cities in Nigeria now present significant challenges to policy makers on unpredictable shift in population dynamics in response to the need for employment, housing and sustenance continues. The expansion of cities in Nigeria coupled with increasing urban population results in greater demand for the provision of transport. This demand has, however, not always been met and efforts to provide adequate transport infrastructural facilities are ad-hoc, uncoordinated and poor (Aderamo, 2008). Access to public transport has the potential of extending transport services to greater proportion of urban residents who do not have private cars and cannot afford frequent taxi fares (Andeleeb, Mohmadul and Ahmed, 2007). It has the potential of being used as a policy tool to reduce the number of cars on urban roads and by implication reduce traffic congestion in the city. The FCT has witnessed a phenomenal growth in population and commercial activities since its creation in 1976. Current estimates at the time of this study suggest a population size of f million for both the FCT and the satellite towns (Nigeria Infrastructure Advisory Facility, (NIAF, 2010). This growth was accompanied by a substantial expansion of the city and much higher levels of economic and social activities. These have led to the extension of unplanned settlements in the city peripheries, with workers from the area exerting increasing pressure on the already inadequate public transportation facilities. Keeling and Mooney (2011:4) opine that economic development and transportation often go hand in hand. Transport contributes directly to the economic activities and employment through rail, road, air and maritime services. Fleet operators and commercial transport owners rely on commercial drivers to convey passengers and freight by providing safe and timely deliveries of products. Most importantly, transportation linkages between rural and urban areas are made possible by commercial drivers thereby encouraging investment in industry and agriculture. The transportation sector acts as a barometer used in gauging the health of the economy of a nation. A healthy economy generally means greater demand for goods and services. The first sector to reap the benefit of economic growth is the transport sector, thus, creating the need for more transportation workers such as drivers and managers. Road transport passenger and freight services are predominantly provided by commercial transport services and operated by Commercial drivers (Aworemi, Abdul-Azeez, Adewoye and Oyedotun, 2009:427; World Bank, 2009:20). This underscores the importance of commercial drivers in the socio \u2013 economic development of Nigeria. But the basic principle behind the economics of commercial road transport in the country is attributed to the issue of over speeding and overloading. It is done out of greed for profit and target setting for drivers by commercial transport owners. In order to reposition the economy of this country from virtual dependence on oil to a substantial accommodation of non-oil sector, there is need to reposition the country\u201fs drive for development in the major spheres of the economy. To ensure this and for policy continuity, consistency and commitment in pursuance and attainment of vision 20:2020 the Federal Government of Nigeria introduces a Transformation Agenda. The policy thrust of the Transformation Agenda as it affects transportation is to create an integrated, intermodal and sustainable transport system that will be reliable and cost-efficient. It is the objective of this study to provide empirical information on the role of commercial drivers in the transformation agenda. 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Commercial transport operators have remained the main providers of transportation in Nigeria. The public transport system in the FCT which caters for about 1.4 million commuters (Oniyangi, 2019) is at the time of this study facing numerous challenges notwithstanding the effort of the Government to improve the system. The complex and heterogeneous traffic pool, largely dominated by private vehicles and poor service level of the public transport operators create unbearable waiting time, heavy congestion and pollution of the territory\u2019s environment. This situation is further compounded by the declining service delivery and the inefficiency of the bus services in Jabi Park. The centralization of government functions and key private organizations in the city centre, while the majority of the population live in the surrounding towns and settlements lead to large volume of vehicular movement to and from the city and the adjoining settlements every day. The emerging features of mobility problems arising from poor service level of public transport in the FCT need to be thoroughly studied from different perspectives; this is because the renewed efforts at improving this system may not yield the desired result unless a reliable baseline information is provided. It is in the light of the foregoing that this study focuses on examining the structure and operational characteristics of public transportation in the FCT. 1.3 GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY The general objective of the study is to examine the Challenges Faced by Commercial Vehicles in Abuja. 1.3.1 THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES The specific objectives of the study were: 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study concentrated on commercial vehicles drivers that operate buses who are members of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) operating in Jabi Park, Abuja as well as their passengers. Buses were selected as they constitute the major mode of transportation and are mostly found in the same motor park. 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The outcome of the study can serve as a guide to government in evaluating the expected outcome of the transformation agenda as it affects commercial drivers. It can also offer commercial transport practitioners a platform to express their views and also appreciate government efforts in transforming the transport sector of the economy. It can further promote synergy between transport vehicle owners and security agencies. It can also make significant contributions to the existing body of knowledge on transportation and the role of commercial drivers. 1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY There was general apathy and suspicion on the parts of respondents arising from distrust on security agents, consequently meetings were held with the leadership of the driver\u2019s union to build trust and understanding. There were signs of impatience from the drivers, an indication that the questionnaire was rather lengthy. This problem was overcome by offering each of the respondents light refreshment. There is no standard bus town service in the FCT. Consequently, the number of other categories of buses were increased to meet up the required number. The literacy level of the drivers was rather low, requiring lengthy discussions on the aim of the research project as well as explanations on nearly all the items in the instrument for data collection in Hausa language which is language spoken by most of the respondents. Another major challenge encountered was in the retrieval of questionnaires as two states were involved in the study, but the problem was resolved using the research assistants who retrieved and forwarded the completed questionnaires.