Effect of Ride-Hailing Services on the Efficiency of Public Transport Patronage in Aba Metropolis, Abia State, Nigeria

The ride-hailing market in Nigeria has witnessed significant growth and development in recent years. Customer preferences, trends in the market, local special circumstances, and underlying macroeconomic factors have all contributed to the expansion of this industry. Customer preferences in Nigeria have played a crucial role in the development of ride-hailing market. With the increasing urbanization and congestion in major cities, customers are seeking convenient and efficient transformations. Ride-hailing services provide a solution to these challenges by offering a reliable and affordable alternative to traditional taxis. The study examined the effect of ride-hailing services on the efficiency of public transport patronage in Aba metropolis, Abia state, Nigeria. The study specifically determined the effect of efficient ride-hailing cost, time, safety and comfort on public transport patronage. The study adopted survey design research. The population of the study covered 1099,300 drawn from the three local government areas in Aba metropolis. The sample size is 193 which was drawn from the population using the Taro Yamane statistical formula. The data was sourced through administration of structured questionnaire to the target respondents. The data was analysed with descriptive statistics and simple multiple linear regression analysis model. The findings of the study showed that cost negatively related to the dependent variable but statistically significant at 5 percent probability level. The coefficient of time was also statistically significant at 1 percent probability level and positively related. Comfort was also statistically significant at 1 percent probability level with a positive sign. The R2 was 0.709, meaning that 70.9 percent of the variability in the equation has been explained, this also goes to show that the model is a good fit as attested by the high R2, while the F – ratio was 24.630 which was significant at 1 percent level. It was recommended that effective management of cost must be made a priority since the respondents in the studied area showed to be cost sensitive. Safety, time and comfort also need to be prioritized since it contributes to patronage.