HOUSEHOLDS’ SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS AND URBAN TRAVEL BEHAVIOURS IN MINNA METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Abstract

Socio-economic characteristics of households are a major determinant on how urban residents travel in relation to various trip attraction centres. Thus, forecasting and managing urban travel requires transports planners and administrators understand the intricacies of relationship that exists between socio-economic characteristics of urban residents and their travel behaviour in Minna, Nigeria. To carry out this study, a questionnaire survey of households’ heads was carried out; in which 1,303 household heads were randomly selected across 12 selected neighbourhoods in the City using Open Data Kit package (ODK) Information on their travel behaviours and socio-economic characteristics were collected. The step-wise regression technique was used to ascertain the influence of socio-economic variables on households travel behaviour. The findings revealed that number of cars, occupation, household size, number of employed household members, position in the family and car ownership have significant influence on households travel in Minna. These variables significantly explained 67% of variation in the household travel behaviour.