ABSTRACT
The road infrastructure network in Ghana has received a
massive growth over the years. Despite the efforts by the Government of Ghana
to improve road infrastructure and services, road related problems still occur
every now and then. There is growing recognition, of the need to understand
road user needs and concerns to deliver quality road services effectively and
efficiently. The statement of the problem gives an indication that there are
road users’ satisfaction challenges on the George Walker Bush Highway in spite
of the huge project investment made by the Government of Ghana and the
Millennium Challenge Cooperation. Thus, the aim of the research is to evaluate
the level of satisfaction of road users with the George Walker Bush (GWB)
Highway. Questionnaire surveys was conducted on motorists and pedestrians. The
views of both motorists and pedestrians with respect to the technical and
functional service quality dimensions were assessed with a modified SERVQUAL
instrument. Several implications regarding the satisfaction of road users of
the GWB-highway were drawn from the findings of the research. The scores for
all the quality dimensions measured indicated negative gaps which imply the
expectations of road users of the GWB-highway exceeded their initial perceptions
with the quality dimensions. The overall satisfaction rates show that
pedestrians were averagely more satisfied with the service dimensions measured
than motorists with an average mean scores of 3.87 and 2.94 respectively. The
results of the regression analysis, show that road surface conditions and
pedestrians’ safety are the significant service quality dimensions that
influence the satisfaction of road users. The findings of this study have
empirically affirmed that, the service quality dimensions that influence the
satisfaction of road users cannot be ignored or underrated in road
infrastructure delivery. It further informs the road agencies and operators of
the need to give due attention to satisfaction of road users during design and
construction stages.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The key drive for every road system
is accessibility and mobility, therefore, the vision of any road transport
system is to bridge the gap between road user needs and satisfaction
(Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, 2001). The road
transport system constitutes one of the key indicators of every national
development, thus, facilitating the movement of people, goods and services for
diverse purposes (Buertey and Asare, 2014). The road infrastructure forms the
backbone on which a society is built. In Ghana, it forms an essential part of
the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda aimed at addressing
infrastructure and human settlement challenges (Road Infrastructure Development
Annual Report, 2011). According to the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Report
(2009), road transport in Ghana accounts for 94% and 97% of freights and
passenger traffics respectively. Development in the road network has served as
an important indicator for socio-economic growth throughout history. However,
meeting the needs and expectations of road users for an improved road
infrastructure delivery is still a growing concern for many governments and
road agencies.
There is a traditional view that,
the achievements of road sectors are mainly determined by the efficiency and
fulfillment of the agencies’ targeted goals as well as the quality of products
and services they offer (OECD, 2001). Nowadays, developing and maintaining road
infrastructure as well as delivering the required quality by meeting set
standards has become a critical part of everyday life. Subsequently, the focus
of road agencies has been shifted more towards the need to provide adequate
satisfaction to road users and other beneficiaries of road infrastructural
developments than emphasizing
solely on the product. Robinson et al. (1998) stated that, customer perceptions
and concerns must define the goals of the road industry, especially, since the
fulfillment of customer satisfaction is an essential prerequisite for quality
assessment which forms part of the ISO 9001:2008 standards.
This study focused on assessing the
satisfaction levels of road users of the George Walker Bush Highway. Utilizing
the right instruments for the required needs of the road sector as long as road
users’ satisfaction is concerned, can provide a significant deal of input for
the road sector improvement as well as an enhanced service and product delivery
system. Preliminary investigations conducted in 2015 with the Ghana Highway
Authority indicates that, unlike the road sectors in developed countries, road
users’ satisfaction is still a new concept in developing countries, especially,
in Ghana. Thus, the focus of this research was to bring to light how road
users’ expectations and perceptions are formed and evaluated.
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