Analysis Of Urban Traffic Flow Pattern In Uyo Metropolis
Chapter One
Introduction
Traffic flow is the study of the rate of vehicular commuting frequency, in terms of the volume and nature of vehicles as regards the movement of goods, services and people through time, which is the life-wire of the development of any economy. Unless there is a detailed study of the volume and nature of traffic flowing into the road at various times of the day, one cannot identify the type and problems confronting either passenger, vehicular or freight transport. Thus, a common form of statement that road a particular road is mainly plied by public vehicles than the other road cannot be accepted without a thorough investigation. Invariably, the knowledge of traffic flows gives a sound basis for judging the relative effectiveness of a good transport system in any geographical entity.
It is pertinent to note that in recent years economic development has generally brought increased traffic flows on the transportation system network. Therefore, road transport is attracting an increasing share of passenger vehicular traffic, which is due to the high economic demands of road transportation. The urban way of life offers many attractions for those who live in cities, not least the prospect of high income resulting from an efficient industrial sector and availability of a wide range of amenities and services not viable in smaller communities.
The rapidity of the Urbanization process in Nigeria has brought with it major changes in all facets of urban life including urban transport. One of the fall out of this process is the inability of both private and public transport system to meet the ever increasing urban travel demands.
The urban traffic flow is a sub system within the large system of inter-connected complex of activities that constitute the urban place. It is to the urban centre what the blood circulatory system is to the human body. It deals with the flow of several means of land transportation which conveys working materials, energy and labour to activity centres in the city thereby keeping them functioning.
The research topic “Analysis of Urban traffic Flow Pattern in Uyo Metropolis”is an investigation of the flow of several means of road transportation within the six major roads in Uyo capital city, with respect to determine the variables of peak and off peak period of traffic flow.
Statement Of Research Problem
As the challenges confronting man’s survival in the twentieth and the beginning of the twenty first centuries are appraised,traffic flow among urban centres assumes position of permanence in terms of their involvement. The intensity of this issue is more devastating in the less developed countries than in other parts of the world.
The problem of the growing volume of road traffic congestion according to Buchanan (1983) has cause more public harm than other urban problems such as overcrowding and unemployment and has contributed to urban noise, air pollution and frayed nerves. It also contributes in large measure to the changing face of those central areas upon which routes converge. Surprisingly, the growth in this traffic has increased to extent where it spread into parts which were once relatively free of traffic. The evolution of the urban spatial pattern in Uyo has facilitated the concentration of most service (commercial and institutional) within the central business area. As result, the area is foci for all activity and for vehicular transport, parking facilities are lacking and the flow of all types of vehicles is highly concentrated in the central business area and the neighbourhood business thoroughfare for most of the business days.
In the past years, Uyo has had unguided expansion in urban space and activities. With the consideration of social, economic and especially the political activities during the past few years, more buildings, the coming of tricycle, increase in car ownership with the purchasing power of urban inhabitants giving rise to more traffic phenomena. The rapid increase in concentration of cars in urban roads calls for the provision of an alternative transport means. Re-planning of the entire urban centre of Uyo poses a lot of problems, as the city is yet to adopt the full philosophy of physical development and transport planning as parts of its culture.
Frequent hold-ups had become a permanent feature of Uyo urban. Prolonged traffic problems as is the case globally, are responsible for carbon emission deteriorating the ozone layer thereby overheating the environment.
Now the question that arises from these problems are: what, where and when questions.
What are the causes of this traffic problem?
Where do these traffic problems exist (at what point)
When is it likely to occur (what time?)
Aim And Objectives
This research aims at evaluating pattern of the traffic flow in Uyo metropolis. The major objectives of this study are:
To investigate the volume of traffic along selected routes in Uyo metropolis.
To examine the variation in volume at selected points in time.
To assess the factors influencing the variation in volume of traffic along the selected routes.
Significance Of Study
The findings made in the course of this research could serve as a useful tool in the following areas:
Educate road users on traffic awareness through the help of seminars and workshops.
It will benefit the urban and regional planners in their planning process, especially in the area of transportation management.
It will help to enlighten people on which road to use at a particular point in time.
It shall be of great help to other research students or scholars within or outside the discipline, who may intend to investigate on this research problem.
Scope Of The Study
The research focuses especially on the unplanned traffic flow pattern within Uyo metropolis. The study will be restricted to Uyo Central business area which comprises of the following major roads: Oron road, Abak road, IkotEkpene road, Nwaniba road, Aka road, Ikpa road and Wellington Bassey way. Also, this work will centre on the flow of automobile vehicles including the tricycles.
Limitation Of Study
This research is only limited to daily temporal and spatial pattern of traffic flow in Uyo metropolis. Financial constraint and time at the researcher’s disposal could not allow for a total coverage of traffic pattern during the evening hours and night traffic within the city.
Research Questions
The following questions were considered quite relevant in our study.
How does the volume of traffic be determined along these selected routes?
Does time affect the variation in volume of traffic?
What are the factors that influence the variation in volume of traffic along selected routes?
HYPOTHESIS
Ho: There is no significant variation in the volume of traffic flow among sampled routes.
Hi: There is significant variation in the volume of traffic flow among sampled routes.
THE STUDY AREA
Uyo is a city in Southern part of Nigeria and is the capital of Akwa Ibom State, a major oil producing state of Nigeria. The city became the capital of Akwa Ibom State on September 23,1987 following the creation of Akwa Ibom State from erstwhile Cross River State. It is distinctive in location and function. Ema (1989) made a detailed study on Uyo, extracts from his work are summarized here:
LOCATION
The geographical location of Uyo is latitude 5°3’0”North, longitude 7°56’0” East situated about 60km from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean about 47km from Calabar, 71km from Aba, 138km from Port Harcourt and 45km from Eket.
GEOLOGY AND SOIL
The whole of Uyo is underlain by sedimentary formations of late tertiary and Holocene ages. The alluvial deposits of the late tertiary age form homogeneous rock structures of sand stone, shell and clay have resulted Uyo’s region underlain by coastal plains sands. The climate and other physical factors have given risk to the development of ferrasoils in the physical region.
Ferrasols are compose mainly of ferrum Aluminium. There are completely weathered soils and resistant materials such as quartz. These ferralitics soils are rich in free iron but have low minerals reserve, hence low natural fertility.
CLIMATE
Because of the effect of the Maritime and the Continental Tropical air masses, the climate of Uyo is characterized by two seasons, namely, the wet or rainy season and the dry season. The wet season lasts for about eight months. The rainy season begins about March-April and lasts until mid-November. The dry season begins in mid-November and ends in March. During this brief period, the whole continental Tropical airmass and its accompanying north easterly winds and their associated dry and dusty harmattan haze. In almost every year, a short dry period occurs known as “August Break”. The mean yearly temperature stands at 27°c and a relative Humidity of between 70-80%.
Socio-cultural And Economic Development
The economy of Uyo before the creation of Akwa Ibom State was based mainly on agriculture and commerce. Access roads was in short supply to the municipality, hotels were established, local craft were the major industries, business were concentrated within a one kilometer of the city.
Today, a structural change exist with access roads like NsikakEduok, Udoudoma, EdetAkpan Avenue, AtikuAbubakar highway and IBB avenues.The champion Breweries Ltd and its allied industries plastocrown and Autopak, tourism potentials and attraction such as the Le Meridien Ibom Hotel and Golf course, Nwaniba Tourist resort, Ibom Tropicana and centrally positioned Ibom Plaza are just but a few of the establishment and institution of development. Economic development had given rise to diverse branches of leading Nigerian, state owned and international banks operating here while others are moving into the city. Telecommunication outfits like MTN, Airtel, Globacom and communication services like internet browsing and web connects the area to the rest of the world.
Definition Of Terms
The following terms as used by the researcher in the course of research are operationally defined thus:
CENTRAL BUSINESS AREA: The major concentration zone of all the commercial administrative education and industrial activities as revealed by the researcher.
CITY: It is a large population of an area which may be used interchangeable with urban Centre.
CONGESTION: This means an overcrowding status especially on vehicles in an urban area whereby available.
ROUTE: An important transportation route distinguished by the number of vehicles and commuters plying it.
TRAFFIC FLOW:The direction of traffic and the volume of traffic recordedon a sample routes.
PATTERN: A regular or repetitive form, order, or arrangement.
PEAK HOUR: The period of one-hour duration in the 24 hours day during which the greatest amount of traffic is recorded.