EFFECTS OF ROAD TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT ON URBAN GROWTH AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES IN GOMBE METROPOLIS, GOMBE STATE NIGERIA
EFFECTS OF ROAD TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT ON URBAN GROWTH AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES IN GOMBE METROPOLIS, GOMBE STATE NIGERIA
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Date
2015-09
Authors
BALA, Rabiu Hashidu
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Abstract
Road transportation, urban growth and commercial activities, particularly in developing world continue to be among the crucial issues of global change in the 21st century affecting the physical dimension of cities. Thus, the study examined the effects of road transport development on urban growth and commercial activities in Gombe Metropolis using the following set objectives which are to: determine the changes in road network development over three periods (1996, 2005 and 2014); examine the pattern of urban growth between 1996 and 2014 in the study area; analyze the effects of road network development on urban growth over the period of time under study and to examine the effect of road transport development on commercial activities in the area. In order to achieve the objectives of this research, alpha, beta, gamma indices and GIS technique were used to measure the development in road network as well as determine the pattern of urban growth. Inferential statistical technique Paired T-test and questionnaire were also employed to test the research hypothesis and examine effects of road transport on commercial activities in study area. The results of the computation of beta index revealed that there is increase in connectivity in the area from 1.61 in 1996 to 1.70 in 2005 and 1.80 in 2014. Both gamma and alpha indices also indicated that there is a significant increase in road network in Gombe Metropolis during the period under study. Results obtained from the analysis of urban growth pattern showed that the total built up area has grown from 809.28 hectare (8.29km2) in 1996 to 1,655.05 hectares (16.55km2) in 2005 and to 3,689.01hectares (36.89km2) in 2014. SPSS computations P-value (0.024) further revealed that urban growth always determine the development of road network in the study area. Survey results showed that 95% of the respondents revealed that improvement in road network affects commercial activities in many ways such as; provision of access to commercial outfits which bring about profit by locating along major roads, junctions and roundabouts which in turn result to increase in income, improvement in standard of living and reduction in poverty. It is therefore, concluded that road transport development dictate the pattern of urban growth and affects commercial activities positively. It is finally recommended that: more roads should be constructed, renovated and dualized in order to improve and diversify the commercial nature of Gombe Metropolis; rural roads should be improved to harness the economic potentials of the state at large and further research should explore the rest of the critical indicators of road transport development such as: accessibility, road density, traffic density, effects of transport cost, travel distance, travel time savings on commercial activities in the study area.
Description
A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE SCHOOL OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY, ZARIA, KADUNA STATE NIGERIA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MATER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN GEOGRAPHY
DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY
FACULTY OF SCIENCE
AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY ZARIA
Keywords
EFFECTS,, ROAD TRANSPORT,, DEVELOPMENT,, URBAN GROWTH,, COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES,, GOMBE METROPOLIS,, GOMBE STATE,, NIGERIA