ABSTRACT
Freight operation is an organ of transportation engineering
– a sub – discipline in the field of Civil Engineering. It involves movement of
bulk of goods and services from one location to another. It facilitates the
production, exchange and consumption of goods at different levels. The study
assessed the mode of freight transport operation in northern Kano metropolis,
focusing on the road mode of freight since it remains the most suitable and
accessible mode. Feedbacks through questionnaire were obtained from 140 road
freight transport stakeholders (precisely drivers) on road freight transport
operation, the challenges, state of roadways associated facilities in the
operation, freight vehicles condition and the behaviour and competencies of
drivers in the operation. After analysis of the data, the study shows that
32.86% of the drivers were within the ages of 31 – 40, 22.86% were within the
ages of 41 – 50 and 51 – 60, while 14.29% of them were within the ages of 18 –
30 and 7.14% of the respondents were above 60 years. All the 140 respondents
were males and 89.29% of them were married and 90.17% were Hausa by tribe while
9.83% were from other tribes, 65% of them were averagely educated. About 98% of
them underwent an informal mode of driving training. While driving, 99% of them
had valid particulars and driving safety facilities and made use of stimulants
to aid the driving task, while 94% of them possessed a driver’s license, about
6% do not, 57% always comply with traffic rules and regulations while 43% do comply
occasionally, 29% do not overload their vehicles, while 71% do overload due to
some reasons. About 49% have driving experience of above 15 years, while 51%
are within the ranges of 1 – 15 years and most, about 38%, of the drivers in
the study area operate towards Lagos, while others operate towards other
locations, 96% have preference for the type of goods they carry. The road is in
a poor condition according to 48% of the drivers, good according to 18%, fair
according to 33% and excellent according 1%. About 97% are influenced by
culture and religion, the culture of the host environment has effect on 71% of
the drivers, while the remaining 39% of them are not affected. About 69% of the
drivers pay multiple taxes, 3 types, while the remaining 31% pays less. Up to
96% and 99% of the respondents see bribery and corruption, and reckless driving
as a challenge respectively as bribery and corruption decreases the income of
79% of them, and makes 10% take longer route and other type of challenges
respectively. Therefore, there is need for provision of formal driving schools
at affordable cost to bring about effectiveness of the operation, there should
be Government interference in pitting a stop to bribery and corruption and the
need for relevant road freight transportation stakeholders to enlighten the
public on togetherness and tolerance so as to shun tribalism and religious
radicalism.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DECLARATION II
CERTIFICATION III
DEDICATION IV
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS V
ABSTRACT IX
CHAPTER ONE 1
1.1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.2 PROBLEM
STATEMENT 2
1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES 3
AIM 3
OBJECTIVES 3
1.4 SCOPE AND LIMITATION 4
1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY 4
CHAPTER TWO 6
LITERATURE REVIEW 6
2.1
INTRODUCTION 6
2.2 FACTORS
IN SELECTION OF FREIGHT TRANSPORT MODE 7
2.2.1 INDUSTRY CHALLENGES 7
2.2.2 TIME FACTORS 7
2.2.3 COST 9
2.2.4 TRANSPORTATION CAPACITY SHORTAGE 9
2.2.5 INTERNATIONAL GROWTH 10
2.2.6 SECURITY CONCERNS 11
2.2.7 ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY CONCERNS 11
2.3 ROAD FREIGHT
TRANSPORT AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE 12
2.4 ROAD TRANSPORT SYSTEM IN NIGERIA – CONDITION, ADEQUACY AND MAINTENANCE ISSUES 18
2.5 CONSTRAINTS/DEMERIT OF ROAD FREIGHT
TRANSPORT 20
CHAPTER THREE 26
METHODOLGY 26
3.1 INTRODUCTION 26
3.2 THE STUDY
AREA 27
3.2.1 DAWANAU MARKET 27
3.2.2 KOFAR-RUWA MARKET 27
3.2.3 DANTATA INDUSTRIAL PARK
(WAREHOUSE) 27
3.3 DATA COLLECTION 28
3.3.1 SAMPLE SIZE DETERMINATION 28
3.4 DATA ANALYSIS 29
CHAPTER FOUR 30
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 30
CHAPTER FOUR
4.1 INTRODUCTION 30
4.2 SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC
CHARACTERISTICS 30
4.3 DRIVER’S COMPETENCE AND BEHAVIOUR 31
4.4 VEHICLE CONDITION 38
4.5 ROADWAY AND ASSOCIATED
FACILITIES 42
4.6 CHALLENGES IN FREIGHT
TRANSPORT OPERATION 44
CHAPTER FIVE 50
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 50
5.1 CONCLUSIONS 50
5.2
RECOMMENDATIONS 50
FURTHER
RESEARCH 51
REFERENCES 52
Appendix 56
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure No. Description Page No.
4.1 Training,
Driver’s Lcinese and Stimulants
31
4.2 Drivers
form of Training 32
4.3
Types of stimulants Consumedy by Drivers 33
4.4
Drivers level of Education
34
4.5
Drivers Traffic Rules Compliance 35
4.6
Drivers Driving Experience 36
4.7
Routes Plied by Drivers
37
4.8
Vehicle Condition and Goods Preference 38
4.9
Reason
for Overloading
39
4.10
Goods Preference 40
4.11
Frequency of Vehicle Service
41
4.12
Roadway Condition 42
4.13
Adequate Facilities and Bad Road Effect 43
4.14
Challenges Faced by Drivers 45
4.15
Number of Taxes Paid by Drivers 46
4.16
Relationship of Drivers with Traffic agents 47
4.17 Effect of Bribery and Corruption 48
4.18
Suggestions to stop Bribery and Corruption 49
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Introduction
Freight operation is an organ of
transportation engineering – a sub-discipline in the field of Civil
Engineering. It involves movement of bulk of goods and services from one
location to another. It facilitates the production, transfer, exchange and
consumption of goods at different levels. Amstrong (2013) described freight
transport in view of business as a crucial in our globalized world. This is due
to companies becoming more reliable on goods from many locations worldwide and
hence demand for articulated transportation is increasing. (Amelia Regan, n.d.)
have accentuated that a revamped freight transport is an integral part for any
economy to succeed. Meanwhile a prediction has been made, at the beginning of
new millennium demand for goods movement will result into infrastructure
deficit.
Freight transportation is necessitated by
demand and supply. Demand is driven by businesses that move raw materials,
supplies and finished products. These businesses regard to us as
shippers-purchasers of freight transportation (National Academics of Sciences,
Engineering and Medicine, 2011).
On the other hand, supply is provided by
the infrastructure and the companies that move the goods, called carriers. The
freight infrastructure consists of roadway, railway system, seaports, airports
and pipeline. Freight carriers are the owners and/or operators of vehicles,
machinery, ships and airplanes that convey the goods (National Academics of
Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2011).
Other key private players are freight
brokers, freight forwarders and third-party logistics providers. Freight
brokers assist shippers and carriers in handling international or certain
complicated shipments, example: assembling and paperwork. Freight forwarders
merge multiple small units of shipments into larger ones for transport:
preparing all the necessary documents. Third-party are employed by to take-up
freight or logistics duties already executed in house by shippers.
Lastly, investigation into mode of freight
transport operation is a critical, scientific evaluation of methods in which
the freight transport takes place and other relevant issues. This is hinged on
the principles guiding it as a sub – discipline in the field of civil
engineering.
1.2 Problem Statement
Road remains the
most suitable means of freight transport in Nigeria due to the collapse of our
railway system. Moreover, Kano is one of the commercial hubs in the country and
the largest city in Northern Nigeria. Raw materials and finished goods are
transported to and from the other parts part of the country by road.
Agricultural products like groundnut, cotton, sesame, yam, maize, hides and
skin etcetera are produced in the North and accumulated in
Kano. These products are supplied to
agro-allied based industries situated in southern Nigeria (Lagos, Ibadan and
Port-Harcourt) where they will either be processed or exported out of the
country, since the South has seaport. Finished products like flour, cooking
oil, biscuits, soft drinks etcetera are transported back to the North. In
addition, goods which are not produced in Nigeria are imported into the country
and dumped in South, from there they will be transported to the North.
Obviously, there is a kind of exchange of raw materials between the North and
South.
Kano is the economic
heartbeat of Northern Nigeria, hence there is need for the government to establish
a good road network that will connect it with other cities in the North. These
goods when they arrive Kano they will then be distributed to other Northern
cities: Kaduna,
Zaria, Maiduguri, Sokoto among others.
Meanwhile, these goods are typically transported
on trucks, the truck drivers encounter hurdles in their trip: poor road
condition, money extortion and double taxation. The roadway system may be
deplorable and unpleasant for driving. Some of these vehicles may develop
faulty, and may not be equipped with the necessary accessories for proper
functionality. Facilities for transit, loading and off-loading, which
fast-track service delivery, are not always readily available.
The city of Kano being of the main
economic hubs in the country experiences mass in flow and exodus of trucks to
and from other parts of the country. This is often associated with challenges
as we have seen in the above statements. Hence there is need to study these
problems and provide a lasting solution to them for economic prosperity.
1.3 Aim and Objectives
Aim
To investigate the mode of freight transport operation in
northern part of Kano metropolis.
Objectives
The specific objectives of the study include:
(i)
To identify routes followed
by road freight operators in northern part of Kanometropolis
(ii)
To investigate the road
freight operators’ competence and behavior in northern part of
Kano metropolis
(iii) To examine freight vehicle condition in northern part of Kano
metropolis.
(iv) To investigate the state of roadways and associated facilities
in northern part to Kano metropolis.
(v)
To investigate the
challenges faced by road freight operators in northern part of Kano metropolis.
1.4 Scope and Limitation
There are about three flashpoint areas
where road freight transport is taking place in Kano metropolis: this include
eastern, western and northern parts of the metropolis. For this research, the
northern part is chosen, and this comprises of Dala, Ungoggo and Gwale local
government areas. It is conducted on Kano metropolis, and even within the
metropolis emphasis is laid on a particular section (Northern part of Kano
metropolis).
This research focuses on the assessment of
how freight transport is running in Kano, that is, operators who are moving in
or out of Kano metropolis. It looks into the operational challenges and
adequacy of facilities for smooth operation.
During data collection, only truck drivers
will be interviewed. Hence, the study would rely on information obtained from
the drivers as input to draw the study findings.
1.5 Significance of the Study
This research will pin-point challenges
that freight transport is facing and suggest probable solutions to those
challenges.
The truck owners will know the people with
the right calibre to employ as their drivers. Because most of these drivers do
not undergo formal education. Drivers are made to understand the consequences
of some mistakes they make due to lack of knowledge like overload, inadequate
safety facilities etcetera. Overloading may affect both the structural strength
and efficient functioning of their vehicles. During fire incidence absence of
safety equipment like fire extinguisher may worsen the situation.
As roads remain the commonest means of transporting goods, government
needs to know the specific roads that require special attention. Some roads are
more important than others as far as the state economy is concerned.
Wrongdoings perpetrated by some government officials, police and other traffic
enforcement agents, like money extortion and multiple taxation are showcased.
Hence there is need to explore on information regarding theses alleged
practices.
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