Author: Ahmed Taruwere Yakubu
Volume: 57 Issue No:1 Year:2015
Abstract: Commercial motorcyclists often violate road traffic regulations where they operate. The traffic offences they commit include, but are not limited to carrying more than one passenger per trip, which is above the passenger capacity of a motorcycle as provided by law. The objective of this study is to examine the determinants of passenger capacity compliance among commercial motorcyclists in Kwara State, Nigeria. This study studied 1,178 randomly selected motorcyclists across the rural-urban divide of Kwara State. Logistic regression models were used as the tool for data analysis. Statistics showed that 62.19 percent of the motorcyclists operate on full-time basis while the rest operate on parttime basis. About 68 percent of the motorcyclists operate without a valid driver's license. It was found that only 25 percent of the motorcyclists comply with the regulation of carrying one passenger per trip.. The rate of compliance with the passenger capacity regulation stood at 38.3 percent for the urban areas while that of rural areas was estimated at 13.8 percent. The regression results revealed that license holding, operation mode, age, location, education, and earnings are factors that determine compliance with the passenger capacity regulation among commercial motorcyclists in Kwara State. The study recommends that traffic law enforcement agents should educate commercial motorcyclists on road safety issues and also enforce compliance.