Implications of Transport Poverty and Social Exclusion in Lagos State Transportation System
Abstract
The link between transportation and social inclusion is well-established. Poor access to transportation services makes goods and services inaccessible, further marginalizing those who do not own motor vehicles. Sociologists look at social exclusion from these dimensions - poverty, inequality, lack of decent and accessible public services, inadequate public transport, the welfare and benefits system, and lack of good housing. These inequalities existed in our transportation system before the introduction of new technologies and business models, and they are exacerbated by present-day social disadvantages. This study examined the transport poverty metrics and housing quality index in some selected parts of Lagos Nigeria. The sample for the study was taken from six (6) locations with four hundred and eighty (480) questionnaires i.e., eighty (80) for each location. There were one hundred and sixty-eight (168) female respondents and three hundred and twelve (312) male respondents with four stated objectives and data for the study was collected through questionnaires. The research hypothesis and questions were tested using the Mann Whitney-U Test Analysis and Analysis of Variance ANOVA to compare differences between the Suburban neighborhood group and the Central neighborhood group. The findings show that households in the Central neighborhood group tend to live closer to convenient transportation options and don't have to drive/travel far to obtain basic services like hospitals, grocery stores, and places of work, but they pay higher housing rentage even when the transport externalities are minimal while the Suburban neighborhood group spend an average of more than 34.7% of their income on transportation and tend to travel farther and lack access to good transportation alternatives. However, one of the recommendations is that waterways transportation around the Suburban group must be revamped with realistic fares to attract people and reduce stress on road transport.
