Contributions of vehicle inspection operations to traffic system in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

The general view about the routine vehicle inspection operations is to ensure that vehicles are road worthy and meet safety requirements. This is done to enhance safe and clean transport within urban centres since the nature and condition of vehicles on roads can be associated with the efficiency of traffic system. This study examines the contributions of the routinevehicle inspection operations tothe overall traffic systemin Abuja, Nigeria. The study made use of secondary data collected from the records of the Directorates of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) on the number of vehicles inspected from 2007 – 2014 in Abuja. The study undertakes respondents’ perception on the contributions of vehicle inspection operations to transport system using questionnaire designed to elicit information to achieve the objective of the study. A total of 142 respondents who were commercial taxi and bus drivers in Abuja were randomly sampled for the study. The study employed simple descriptive statistics and a combination of correlation and factor analysis as techniques for data analysis. The correlation analysis showed that the variables for considerations have positive relationships with one another except reduction in accident rates. The result of the factor loadings identified increased safety level (80.2%) and reduction in the number of vehicles with poor parts (67.6%) as the most significant contributions of the routine vehicle inspection operations to the overall transport system in Abuja. It concludes that vehicle inspection operations have other significant contributions to transportation system of urban centres aside ensuring road worthiness of vehicles.

Keywords: Vehicle Inspection, Transport System, Safety standards, Vehicle Road Worthiness