Paratransit Transport Challenges from Commercial Motorcycle Operations. A Case Study of WaMunicipality. Ghana.
This study examined the challenges of the paratransit service and operations in Wa Municipality in the Upper West Region of Ghana with the aim of developing the predictive model of the challenges faced by the paratransit operators and its optimal parameters of the predictive model and the related correlation effects. The primary data of three hundred and twenty-seven (327) sample operators covered the following variables: poor road networks, cost of fuel and repairs, packing security, attacks, and robbery, distorted direction of route, daily sales, cost of new tricycle, and health condition of the operators. The sampling technique used was simple random sampling from several stoppage of the operators of the study area. Data were analysed using percentage, mean, standard deviation, and regression and correlation analysis using SPSS version 20. The study revealed that the mean of fuel consumption of 4.65 approximately closer to 5 than 4 indicating that the drivers consumed fuel ranging between Ghc 140 – 150} than between Ghc 120 – 140 while the cost of motorcycle range between Ghc 43,000 – 44,000} than between Ghc 44,000 – 44,500 respectively. The security aspect of the motorcycle indicated that 89.9% pack at home, 3.4% pack at fuel station, and 6.7% pack at the transport station. The results also showed that 7.0% agreed that there was average cost on the repair activities operations while 93.0% were of the view that there was high cost in repairing of their motorcycles. The models also indicated that the cost of new okada, bad road, and cost of repair of motorcycle negatively affect the dependent variable (Daily sales). The model indicated that a unit increase in the cost of new okada, poor bad road network, and cost of repair will decrease the daily sales of the okada drivers by (-0.146), (-0.499), and (-0.271) respectively. Again, the model indicated that a unit increase in fuel consumption and distorted direction and route will increase daily sales by (0.943) and (0.81) respectively. The study recommended that the okada drivers should regularly have their health condition checked. The various town roads should be rehabilitated to avoid accident and increase accessibility. Future work is to consider analysis and comparisons of earning of the various kinds of tricycles in Ghana including the demographic study of the operators. Further research may also examine the strategic security of the various categories of the motorcycles for effective and efficient management systems and economic development of the youth in Ghana.
Keywords: Challenges, Commercial, Transport System, Tricycle, Operations, Robbery
