EFFECT OF POPULATION ON ROAD TRANSPORTATION IN BENIN CITY

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

          First of all let us see what population is. Population is the number of people living in a geographical location recorded or not. While transportation is the movement of people, animals, goods and services etc from one place to another. An investigation in the circumstances of the diverse means of conveying themselves and their goods from one place to another. Human porterage and beast were the earliest means of fulfilling such task. Tracks were stamped out by man across different terrains and through the jungles draught animals (beast of burden) such as homes, buffaloes elephants, males and camels were domesticated and extensively employed to save man from carrying things themselves, especially weightily things. But such animals could hardly cover 24km (15 miles) to 48km (30 miles) per day. But in those days and even in some uncivilized part of the world today, this was and is the only sensible way of transportation.

          Iboaya (1991) explained that in Nigeria transportation means including trekking, human porterage, transportation by animals, roads, railways, water and air. But in this context, we will be focusing on road transportation, and the effect of population in it. Road transportation is the movement of people, animals, goods and services etc on road. There are different types of roads, they include;

1.     Cul-de-sac roads: These are streets roads with opening at one end.

2.     Local arterial roads: These are important main roads

3.     Local roads: A local road is a road that is special to a place or district.   

4.     Highways/dual carriage way: These are divided highways e.g. Benin-Ibadan Road, Bye Pass. Different speeds are maintained on these roads as the width (carriage ways) varies increasing from the local roads to the high ways. Some links towns, while others link states. Road link people directly and provide door to door services.

To ensure people feed, clothe communicate with one another especially in this modern life when humans needs are numerous and enormous that it is said to be insatiable. Human beings have to engage in different activities in order to make good life inevitable. These needs are not found in one particular place within man’s immediate environment or jurisdiction therefore to get these vital needs man must move from where they are found to their place of usage.

However, population has really effected road transportation, Uselu Lagos Road as an example. Motorist, bikes riders (Okada) lorry etc and even pedestrians have to use the road and due to the population, the road (Uselu Lagos Road) seems to be too small for the enormous users which has succeeded in leading to bad traffic unnumbered accidents, where lots of ghastly and fatal injuries have been seen. Due to the population, some car, bike etc owners now have to keep their mobiles at home and even prefer trekking because of the delay. Population has also been the cause of robbering ohn the road due to delay caused by traffic congestions, night will have to come whereby thieves, kidnappers, and all sort of that will want to take advnagtage of. Also due to the population, packed cars can be damagfed due to rush and speed of approaching persons or vehicles. Population on road can also bring some sort of insecurity of children, due to the fact that, their parents now come late to the house especially at night. Population on road (Uselu Lagos Road) still leads to pedestrians or even motorist fighting, trying to get to their destination on time, and as a result life and properties can be lost. Population in the Uselu Lagos Road can as well bring about disappointment in businesses and even lost of trust, if goods and services is not delivered promptly or as promised due to bad traffic (that is the route from where its coming) population on road (Uselu Lagos Road) can also lead to missing of appointment because one could not meet the time expected of him/her due to bad traffic as well. Population on road has also made business transaction complex in Benin, especially those that live in Uselu Lagos Road metropolis and that has to do with transportation of goods and services.

Population also bring about high cost of transportation especially at night, by bus, bike, cars, etc drivers (commercially). Roads are high in concentration in Edo State. Buses, lorries, trucks and heavy duty vehicles make use of the road in Benin City, road transportation is the most used form of transportation means like railways and water ways in Benin City. Therefore roads are highly concentrated in Benin City.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM           

          From the background, you can deduce that there is lost of lives and properties, there is poor deliverance of goods and services, lost of trust in business partners, fear of business transaction in Benin metropolis, and there is the fear of insecurity of children of absent parents, also the fear of sitting business organization in Benin jurisdiction, due to population on road there is fear of lateness and even loosing of life for those pupils and students, schooling in the terrain or environs, air pollution occurs at major road junctions, asthma and allergies, noise pollution occurs along the major route ways into the town from the high number of cars, lorries, buses etc and smog during high pressure conditions. And also because of high density of population and goods there is damage on the road such as potholes due to heavy weight of goods and people there is also damage of vehicles as a result of this.