African Transport Studies最新文献

Electric vehicles (EVs) are eco-friendly automobile innovation and is evolving as a promising solution to global challenges such as energy scarcity and environmental pollution. However, adoption of EVs in Ghana remains limited. Hence, the study examined the underlying factors affecting EVs adoption in Ghana using web-based survey involving 902 participants across Ghana. The study employed Innovation Diffusion Theory and Binary Logistic Regression to address the objective. The result shows that gender, driving license, driving experience, vehicle ownership, source of information on EVs, and knowledge of EVs were significant demographic factors related to the adoption of EVs. Apparently, being male, middle age, driving experience ranging from 6 to 20 years, higher-income earners, private car owners, familiarity with EVs, and those with knowledge of EVs from sources like internet and school were more inclined to adopt EVs. Moreover, factors such as economic benefits, availability of charging infrastructure, environmental concerns, and self-image are more likely to increase EVs adoption. Categorically, the perception that EVs: save fuel, provide economic advantages, reduced air pollution, produced low carbon emissions, protect the environment, are easy to maintain and availability of repair resources are more likely to motivate the adoption of EVs. Furthermore, charging stations availability, personal image enhancement, and peer influence are closely related to the adoption of EVs. However, not opting to adopt EVs is closely related to concerns about tax incentives associated with owning an EV, the distance traveled before recharging, and the belief that EVs have low noise levels. Policy implications were also discussed.

The study assessed the categorical effect of vehicle age, frequency of maintenance and emission technology on vehicle emissions. Concentrations of carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide samples were taken from one thousand and two (1002) light-duty gasoline vehicles at three vehicle inspection centers in the city of Accra. Vehicle age was positively related to CO and HC emissions. The use of emission technology was negatively related to CO and HC emissions, but positively related to NO_x. Vehicle maintenance had a significant negative relationship with HC but no significant relationship with CO, CO₂, or NO_x. Categorically, moderate and over-aged vehicles were positively related to CO and HC with over-aged vehicles being more so. Furthermore, 2-way and 3-way converter were negatively related to exhaust emissions, but 2-way converter was positively related to NO_x. However, the coefficient value of the significant relationship between 3-way converter and CO (β = −0.374) as well as HC (β = −0.460) emissions was higher than 2-way converter. Regular maintenance of vehicles showed significant negative relations with HC, with insignificant relation with CO, CO₂ and NO_x emissions. The findings suggest that vehicle age, regular maintenance and use of emission technology are critical factors to consider when reducing vehicle emissions.

In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) pedestrians and cyclists account for approximately 26 % of the road traffic deaths, which is a considerable amount as it is well known that the majority (90 %) of the world's road traffic deaths occur in these countries. In Africa however, pedestrian and cyclist deaths account for 44 % of their yearly road related deaths. Ghana is no exception to this trend; in fact, it has been estimated that pedestrian crashes alone account for 36.7 % of road related deaths in the country. Therefore, the objective of this study is to use historical crash records from 2018 to 2020 to explore pedestrian-vehicle crashes in Ghana, to identify the groups of pedestrians represented in pedestrian-vehicle crashes by use of a latent class analysis (LCA) model, then conduct injury severity analyses using a mixed logit approach on each pedestrian group found in the LCA modeling. Results indicate that by segmenting the pedestrian crash data into homogenous groups, some variables were found to only be significantly associated with injury severity within some classes. Other variables were found to be significant across multiple classes yet experience different trends within each. For example, no traffic control was found to be significant within three subgroups but affect severity levels differently across classes. Further the darker hours of the day were more likely to be associated with fatal and major injury outcomes across multiple classes. This study provides new direction for studying different types of pedestrian crashes, particularly in LMICs and provides targeted interventions.

The introduction of cargo tricycles into the modal mix has significantly impacted the movement of freight in Ghana's large and medium-sized towns. However, this has not been adequately studied. In this paper, we explore the operations of freight hauliers using cargo tricycles within the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA), and their contribution to the city's economy. Surveys of 173 cargo tricycle operators, 105 patrons or end-users, relevant institutions (the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority [DVLA], the Urban Transport Department of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Roads Department of the Asokore-Mampong Municipal Assembly), and operator unions were undertaken. These category of respondents were selected and interviewed at five identified tricycle head stations, using semi-structured questionnaires and interview guides. The surveys revealed that cargo tricycles grew at a rate of nearly 13% per annum over the 2015–2021 period. Nearly 40% of these tricycles had a total round-trip length of between 10 and 30 km with seven round trips per day while transporting an average of between 480 and 600 kg of different types of freight including foodstuffs, construction materials, machinery, and refuse. The study estimated that they contribute about GH₵ 205 million annually, to the local economy while employing nearly 3000 operators and assistants. The average value of freight hauled was also estimated at GH₵ 693 million annually. The tricycles offered cheaper means of transport, were convenient, and manoeuvred easily to difficult destinations. However, they posed major safety challenges in the study area, which require prudent interventions.

The impact of the e-mobility transition on a national economy will depend strongly on that nation's set of fiscal policies regarding vehicle, fuel and electricity taxation. Here, we present a framework and online open-access tool to evaluate the macroeconomic impacts of vehicle electrification in any national context. By applying the framework to the booming electric two-wheeler sector in Kenya, we provide a set of context-specific recommendations regarding the impacts of transport electrification on Kenya's fiscal position, given a set of scenarios relating to vehicle market size and fiscal policy. It was found that in the Kenyan case, the e-mobility transition is unlikely to result in a significant black hole in government finances: for a given two-wheeler market size, it is predicted that the loss in revenue resulting from a business-as-usual shift to electric two-wheelers would result in the loss of only 3% of government revenue from the sector by 2040, totalling approx. KSh1.4bn (under 0.1% of Kenyan GDP in 2023). However, carbon taxation is a significant source of government revenue when applied to polluting technologies such as petrol-powered two-wheelers, potentially doubling the revenue returned from the Kenyan two-wheeler sector by the mid-2030s, relative to what it would be without carbon taxation, if IMF recommendations regarding carbon tax are followed. However, revenue from carbon taxation will dry up as the transition to e-mobility hastens. Of course, any intervention regarding taxation, including carbon tax, must be subject to careful policy analysis. Taxation policy should direct consumers towards desired behaviours (in this case, the uptake of electric over internal combustion-powered two-wheelers) and allow the redistribution of wealth to those most affected by transport poverty.