Evaluation of Traffic Problems in Enugu Metropolis, Enugu State, Nigeria

With the rising influx of people into cities, conveying both people and goods from one place to another poses a daunting challenge to city authorities. In order to move people and goods, these activities generate and attract traffic, which of course has implications on mobility. Therefore, the aim of this study sought to evaluate the traffic problems in Enugu Metropolis, Enugu State, Nigeria. Study objectives pursued included ascertaining the causes of vehicular traffic composition of selected roads in Enugu metropolis and to evaluating the traffic problems prevalent in the study area. The study adopted the cross-sectional survey design which aimed at arriving at veritable findings and conclusions. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were adopted where a total number of 400 respondents were selected for the study. Well-structured questionnaires, interview and personal observation facilitated data collection. Collected data were presented and analyzed using tables, percentages and means. Findings from the study revealed that the causes of traffic congestion included bad roads, breakdown of vehicles; traffic checks; roadside trading; on-street parking; increased car ownership; irregular bus stops; cultural and religious activities; accidents; flooding. Further study findings showed that delays in travel time, pollution (noise and air); deaths from road accidents; fuel wastage and increase maintenance; dilapidation of road, bus shed, street lights; parking problems; loss of productive time; unwanted urban sprawl constituted the intra-urban traffic problems prevalent in Enugu Metropolis. The major recommendation of this study highlights that the government should formulate policies that encourage public transportation policy (reduction in transport fares, adherence to vehicle carrying capacity and provision of more coal city buses). This will go a long way in reducing the volume of vehicles plying roads in Enugu metropolis and ultimately the menacing problems of Intra-urban traffic problems both in the study area and Nigeria at large.