MINIBUSES IN AN AFRICAN CITY

Minibuses and shared taxis account for over 80 per cent of passenger journeys in benin, one of the largest cities in Nigeria. This article is based on recent studies to attempt to investigate the operating characteristics of which little is known because there is no licensing. Annual road fund licences and certificates of roadworthiness are required but there is no licensing of owners, drivers or conductors. The 12 seater minibuses have a very high occupancy rate and travel over lengths of 4.2 km to 9 km at journey speeds of between 19 km/h to 30 km/h. Headways between minibuses are very short as drivers attempt to get maximum passenger turnover on each trip and make any number of stops -an average gap of 43 metres was recorded on one route. Congestion is causing inter-city taxi stations to relocate further and further away from the city centre, and minibuses are extending their routes to link them encouraging ribbon developments along radial routes. Further decentralisation of bus stations is required to prevent operators creating illegal stations or parking in restricted areas. The behaviour of minibus drivers is generally thought to greatly increase the risk of accidents.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/24067173
• Corporate Authors:

  AM Publications

  George House, 75B George Street
  Croydon, Surrey,   England 
• Publication Date: 1989-7-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 22-23
• Serial:
  • Urban Transport International
  • Volume: 2
  • Issue Number: 3
  • Publisher: Groupe Actis
  • ISSN: 1268-2241
  • Serial URL: http://urban.transport.free.fr

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Crash rates; Developing countries; Drivers; Headways; Minibuses; Minimization; Operations research; Ridesharing; Taxi services; Taxicabs; Urban areas
• Uncontrolled Terms: Increase; Minimum; Shared taxi
• Geographic Terms: Nigeria
• ITRD Terms: 1612: Accident rate; 9001: Behaviour; 150: Developing countries; 1772: Driver; 685: Headway; 9032: Increase; 1263: Minibus; 9046: Minimum; 8081: Nigeria; 9055: Operational research; 1129: Shared taxi; 313: Urban area
• Subject Areas: Public Transportation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00498446
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 30 1990 12:00AM