Environmental Impact Of Road Transport (A Case Study From Moraba To Gambari Road Ilorin)

Description

ABSTRACT

The assessment of the environmental impact of road transport in Nigeria using from Moraba to Gambari Road in Ilorin in kwara state as the case study was done based on the contemporary challenges of road use. This study employed a qualitative technique using a sample size of thirty (30) selected by the simple random sampling technique. The use of charts, tables and frequencies were done to explain certain trends in the study. A well-structured, valid and reliable questionnaire instrument was designed for the study based on the following research questions; what are the impacts of road transport on the Ilorin environment and what are the possible measures that may be used to reduce environmental impact of road transport on the Ilorin  environment? Twenty five respondents (83%) agreed that road transfer has drastically improved development and 26 (87%) respondents also accepted that it can improve kwara state economy. Similarly, it has also improved communication and technology greatly according to 27 (90%) respondents. To add more credence to the impact of road transport on the economy, all the 30 (100%) of the respondents agreed that road transport aids mobility within Ilorin while 27 (90%) respondents supported the opinion that road transport aids in job search, 3 (10%) disagreed. The result shows that car owners service are potential threats which can affect pollution levels as was supported by 97% to cause environmental pollution as well as 100% when combined with energy consumption. Similarly, all the respondents indicated the potential of increased accident rate from poor road safety. Felling of trees poses great danger (97% response) due to the degradation of the environment. Most respondents (77% and 83%) agreed that road transport can lead to land encroachment and loss of aesthetic and farming. This research has shown that eventually death rate may increase from mere ill-health to from the degraded ecosystem, 24 respondents (80%). So many policies to protect the environment but the practical measures are to encourage impact assessment studies for road projects, land use control and human safety precautions on road use.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION
• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
• PROBLEM STATEMENT
• AIM/OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
• SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
• RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
• SCOPE OF THE STUDY
• LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
• RESEARCH QUESTION
• DEFINITION OF TERMS
• PROJECT WORK ORGANISATION

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.0      LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1      REBIEW OF THE STUDY
2.2     THE IMPACT OF ROAD TRANSPORT ON THE ENVIRONMENT
2.3      TRANSPORT AND ENVIRONMENT USERS
2.4      METHODS OF REDUCING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ROAD TRANSPORT

CHAPTER THREE

3.0      METHODOLOGY
3.1      METHOD OF RESEARCH

3.2      SAMPLING AND POPULATION OF THE STUDY

3.3     DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT

3.4     METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS

3.5     RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY

CHAPTER FOUR

4.1      RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1      CONCLUSIONS

5.2      REFERENCES

CHAPTER

1.0                                        INTRODUCTION

1.1                          BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Global technology and scientific innovation in transportation system has resulted in improvement of global economy and caused environmental degradation. Transport plays an important part in economic growth and globalisation, but most times cause air pollution and use large amounts of land. While it is heavily subsidized by governments, good planning of transport is essential to make traffic flow, and restrain urban sprawl. Road infrastructure therefore is a part of structure; material or economic base of a society or an organization. It is a basic structure that fosters the good performance of cities’, states’ or countries’ essential services. In this sense, for a country to have a good logistics infrastructural system in the different modes of transportation, constant investment from both public and private sectors are needed.

Therefore, road transportation is the act of moving passengers or goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations. Road transport is important since it enables trade between peoples, which in turn establishes civilizations according to Ovubude (2015). Transport infrastructure consists of the fixed installations necessary for transport, and may be roads, railways, airways, waterways, canals and pipelines, and terminals such as airports, railway stations, bus stations, warehouses, trucking terminals, refuelling depots (including fuelling docks and fuel stations), and seaports. Terminals may be used both for interchange of passengers and cargo and for maintenance (Meik et al., 2012). In the transport industry, operations and ownership of infrastructure can be either public or private, depending on the country and mode (Starkey et al., 2012).

Passenger transport may be public, where operators provide scheduled services, or private. Freight transport has become focused on containerization, although bulk transport is used for large volumes of durable items. Transport plays an important part in economic growth and globalization, but most types cause air pollution and use large amounts of land. While it is heavily subsidized by governments, good planning of transport is essential to make traffic flow and restrain urban sprawl (Starkey et al., 2012).

The study will pay more attention to road transportation. Since 1990 after independence, Ilorin’s road transportation infrastructure has enjoyed the largest outlay of central government investment compared with other modes and remains the preferred option for door to door linkage. Until recently, the policy initiative on road infrastructure development, funding, maintenance and even operations has been the sole responsibility of the various systems of government (Law Library of Congress, 2014).

According to the Ovubude (2015),  greenhouse gas levels within Nigeria have rapidly increased, in comparison with the greenhouse gas levels of the year 1994. The increase of the level of greenhouse gases is caused in part by the increase in road transportation within the country (Ministry of Environmental& Tourism, 2018). This study joins the debate by investigating the impact of road transportation on the Ilorin environment. The environmental impacts of road transportation have amplified due to increasing transport volumes and the increasing use of road transportation. According to Robinson, 2011 & Groth, (2012) transport volumes as well as the proportions of the road sector is continuously rising, this intensifies the environmental impacts. Road transportation is especially guilty of this as it contaminates the environment with the release of exhaust emissions. Within the assessment factors such as costs caused per transport are calculated. The analyses include aspects like capacity utilization, the use of environmentally friendly tires and eco-friendly driving styles. These factors influence the fuel consumption and thus also the final production of exhaust emissions (Meik, Jeo, Mendelsohn, Jenks, 2009). The different modes of transport include human-powered, animal-powered and road transports (Meik et al., 2009; Sharpley, 2012; Robinson, 2011 & Groth, 2012).

Road transportation is a very popular mode of transport and yields many benefits for the economy as well as the citizens of Kwara. Not only does it allow social integration, but it enhances economic efficiency, as it decreases costs and prices and enhances trade and employment activities. Road transport in Namibia has social, economic, political and environmental and energy roles. However; road transportation also poses a great threat to the environment of Namibia. Not only does the natural habitat of certain plants and animals get destroyed due to the building of road infrastructure, but the road transportation also increases the greenhouse gases and pollutes the air. Road transportation is especially guilty of contaminating the environment with the release of exhaust emissions which has negative environmental impact. Road transportation, however, consumes a lot of resources, such as the land on which roads are built, deforestation which has negative impact on the environment and also much time is engulfed in building, maintaining and operating the road transportation system. Impacts of transport on the ecosystem include direct, indirect and cumulative impacts (Petzman, 2009). But Sharpley (2012), explained that the most important impacts of road transport on the environment relate to climate change, air quality, noise, water quality, soil quality, biodiversity and land take (invasion).

This study therefore analysed the environmental impact of road transportation on the environment of Ilorin, with the aim of finding possible solutions.

1.2                                 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Transports play an essential function for the socio-economic development of a region or country. The transport not only provides access to jobs or leisure, housing, goods and services to residents, but it also facilitates relations between countries. It was discovered that there are many environmental negative impact associated with road transportation. The impact of the road transport on the environment is highlighted on the level of all environmental factors through: traffic congestion and accidents; air pollution; noise and vibrations – at the major intersections along roads, near transport nodes; soil and water pollution; occupation of land in urban areas for parking areas; changing eco-urban landscape; production of solid waste (tires, accumulators etc.).

1.3                                 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

This study joins the debate by investigating the impact of road transportation on the Ilorin environment focusing from Moraba to Gambari Road in Ilorin, kwara state. The objectives of the study are as follows:

1. To take the inventory and appraise the current situation of transport infrastructure and tourists destinations in Lagos State
2. To examine the components of road transport infrastructure capable of affecting the environment from Moraba to Gambari Ilorin.

iii.        To analysed the environmental impact of road transportation on the environment of Ilorin, with the aim of finding possible solutions.

1.4                                                   RESEARCH HYPOTHESES

The following hypotheses are formulated:

Hypothesis1

Ho: there is a significant impact of road transportation on environments in Nigeria

H1: there is no significant impact of road transportation on tourism in Nigeria

Hypothesis2

H0: there is significant relationship between transportation and environments in Nigeria

H2: there is no significant relationship between transportation and environments in Nigeria

1.5                                         SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will enlighten the reader on steps in achieving an urban and regional development strategy, starting from the analysis of existing infrastructure. It will monitor the traffic that connects arteries, such as road intersections or major street network.

This study is meant to inform, educate, sensitize and enlighten the general public, government and road transport company owners on the impact of transportation in the environment.

This study aims at reminding the government-both state and federal of the ever-poor state of our roads and the need to look into putting them in good shapes.

Road transport companies like ‘the young shall grow motors’ and “efex express” needs to review their service in other not to lose customers to their competitors and to equally promote tourism in Nigeria.

This study will be of immense benefits to other researchers who intend to know more on this topic and can also by non-researchers to build more on their network. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other. It will be of great benefit also to the industry as it would help know the strength of the general public that still believe in and patronize road transportation, also the future prospects of tourists involving in road transportation.

1.6                                               SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The study is based on the environmental impacts of road transportation. a case study of Moraba to Gambari Road in Ilorin in kwara state as the case study. This study was carried out to analysed the environmental impact of road transportation on the environment of Ilorin, with the aim of finding possible solutions. This study employed a qualitative technique using a sample size of thirty (30) selected by the simple random sampling technique.

1.7                                                LIMITATION OF STUDY

Financial constraint- insufficient fund tends to impede the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- the researcher will simultaneously engage in this with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on time devoted for the research work.

1.8                                      RESEARCH QUESTION

This study is driven by the following research questions:

1. What is the inventory of transport infrastructure and environmental attractions in ilorin, kwara state, Nigeria
2. In what way does road transport affect the environment?

iii. Are there any relationship between road transport infrastructure and environmental development in Lagos State Nigeria

1. iv) What are the impacts of road transport from of Moraba to Gambari in Ilorin in kwara State environment?
2. v) What are the policies in place that protect the environment towards road transport?

3) What are the possible measures that may be used to reduce the environmental impact of road transport on Ilorin environment?

•                           DEFINITION OF TERMS

Impact: the Collins dictionary defines impact to be the action of an object hitting another force in which one object influence another.

Road transportation: according to Wikipedia, road transportation is a means or type of transport by road. It is also referred to land transportation. It involves moving passengers with vehicles over a prepared surface.

1.10                                                      PROJECT ORGANISATION

The work is organized as follows: chapter one discuses the introductory part of the work,   chapter two presents the literature review of the study,  chapter three describes the methods applied, chapter four discusses the results of the work, chapter five summarizes the research outcomes and the recommendations.