Assessment of vehicle inspection services in Ijebu zone of Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examines vehicle inspection services (VIS) and motorists’ perceptions of VIS activities as well as motorists’ vehicles condition in Ijebu zone of Ogun State Nigeria. Thirty vehicle inspection officers (VIOs) were purposively interviewed on the basis of number of staff in three VIS stations and 599 structured questionnaires were randomly administered to motorists based on proportion allocation of sample size to wards in selected garages of local government areas of the zone. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for the analyses. From January 2014 to August 2015, 15,886 vehicles were inspected for roadworthiness (RW) of which 73.6% passed and 26.4% failed the test. In Abigi station 56.8% vehicles inspected failed the test, whereas 61.5% and 78.8% vehicles inspected inIjebu – Igbo and Ijebu – Ode stations respectively passed the test. The total number of vehicles that passed (x̄ = 1104.7500 ) the test in the zone is positively higher than vehicles that failed (x̄ = 287.3750 ) and significant at (t = 12.32, p ≤ 0.05 ).Despite 87.8% motorists’ vehicles are imported but used and 12.2% are new, the conditions of the vehicles based on the study assessment are more of good condition than being bad condition and significant at (X² = 16.92, p ≤  0.05). However, 83.4% of the causes of road accidents in the zone are credited to man. Despite the challenges of the VIOs and dissatisfaction on their performance by 69.6%of motorists, most of the VIOs (63.3%) are satisfied with the job. Therefore, it is recommended that intended and existing motorists should visit VIS stations for driving and routine RW tests respectively, provide periodic safety and roadworthiness enlightenment to motorists, equip VIS stations with state of the art equipment and patrol vehicles, organize regular training for staff and maintain periodic staff remunerations review so as to help in achieving successful and sustainable safety of life and properties on Nigeria roads.

Keywords: VIS, VIOs, Motorists, Ijebu Zone, Ogun State, Nigeria