Transport-Land Use Research Study - Millennium Cities Initiative ...

The Accra Pilot BRT: Transport-Land Use Research Study
Millennium Cities Initiative and Accra Metropolitan Assembly
Studies of people‟s perceptions of public transport reveal that the quality of tro-tros, taxis and buses is rated
as „satisfactory‟ or „good‟ (rather than „poor‟). However the majority of passengers (in particular, women)
expressed concern as to the reliability of tro-tros and buses, particularly with regard to comfort, waiting time
and access times. The main reasons for dissatisfaction were long delays and unpredictable schedules (Abane,
1993).
In a recently conducted 2010 World Bank study on Accra, residents ranked their major transportation and
land use concerns, including traffic congestion (the most common complaint, voiced by 55% of survey
respondents), the encroachment of vendors on roads and streets (41%) and illegal parking on and alongside
roads (33%) (World Bank, 2010).
Transportation, Accessibility and Mobility in Accra
Traffic congestion, road safety concerns and mobility are all key issues regarding the provision of transport
within the city of Accra. Congestion, manifested in the bottlenecks which characterize central Accra‟s major
and arterial roads, is a major constraint to economic and social development and has detrimental
environmental impacts, such as noise and air pollution.
African countries have among the highest rates of transport-related accidents in the world (Afukaar et al,
2003; Porter, 2010). In Accra, driver aggression, low literacy levels among drivers (particularly commercial
taxi and tro-tro operators) and disregard for safety measures have contributed to safety concerns and road
accidents. Unfortunately young men and children are the most common victims (Porter, 2010).
Transport is a salient issue for the mobility of women and children. Since women typically earn lower
incomes than men and usually bear responsibility for childcare and household tasks, they often face the
greatest spatial constraints on their mobility and travel mode options (Porter, 2008). In Accra, market trading
is a key livelihood strategy for women, who must depend on informal transport, taxis and non-motorized
transport (usually walking) for their travel to support this work (Greico, Turner and Kwakye, 1995).
Additionally, women‟s and children‟s mobility is often correlated with domestic support at the household
level: mothers of school-age children must act as “domestic anchors” who either remain in the home due to
security concerns, or who use the home for trading. The sharing of domestic responsibilities also means that
other family members‟ activities, including transportation, are arranged from home (Greico, Turner and
Kwakye, 1995; Porter, 2010).
Studies relating young people‟s accessibility to key institutions, including educational and health facilities,
demonstrate that while proximity to such institutions is important, so too is available, affordable and safe
transport, particularly for children and young women. For example, studies from around Ghana demonstrate
that the lack of transport and high transport costs often encourage truancy and/or early dropout rates for
youths (Porter, 2010, citing Avotri et al., 1999).
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