EFFECTS OF URBAN EXPANSION ON TRANSPORT SYSTEMS IN ONDO TOWN, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Ondo town has experienced a significant expansion in land use, which has influence on transport system. Thus, the study examined how urban expansion has affected transportation such as traffic congestion, travel times, transportation costs, how transport sector has benefited from the expansion, and how urban planning and policy interventions can mitigate the negative effects of urban expansion on transport system in Ondo town. Random sampling technique was employed to select 200 respondents with the minimum age of 18 years old for questionnaire administration within the stratified 10 quarters of the study area. Twenty copies of questionnaire were administered in each quarter, making 200. Four points Likert scale was used to acquire primary data on influence of urban expansion on transport system. While the study employed descriptive method for data analysis. The study revealed that most respondents (34%) commute to their workplaces by commercial motorcycles. The study also revealed that more than half of respondents (53%) strongly agreed that urban expansion in the study area has led to increase in traffic congestion. the study showed that majority of respondents (47%) agreed that expansion of land use in the city increased road crashes leading to injuries, defame and casualties. Despite these challenges, findings showed that 45% of respondents strongly agreed that urban expansion has increased accessibility to employment opportunities in transport sector. The study recommends that as cities grow and expand in land use, transport infrastructure should also be enhanced simultaneously such as installation of traffic management systems to manage traffic flow.