Influence of Unscheduled Stop and Dwell Time of Minibus Public Transport on Transit Time in Kaduna Metropolis

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of unscheduled stop and dwells time of minibus public transport on transit time in the Kaduna metropolis. The objectives were to determine operating characteristics of minibus public transport (transit time, amount of recurring stops to pick up or to drop off passengers, dwelling time and running time) and to identify the influence of unscheduled stops and dwell time on transit time. The minibus has been one of the modes of public transport in Nigerian cities. Despite its positive impact on urban mobility demand, it is, however, associated with some problems which make its service ineffective. Data were collected on the number of random stops, dwell times per stop, and travel times from route’s origin to destination using an in-vehicle observation technique. Three major routes on which minibuses operate were used for the study. Finding from this study revealed that minibus public transport in Kaduna metropolis is characterized by recurring unscheduled random stops and long dwell time. The total number of unscheduled stops throughout the routes studied ranges from 8 to 13 per trip while the cumulative mean dwell time per trip constitutes 8.08% to 34.59% of the transit time leading to increasing in overall passenger’s travel time, with attendant delay to the users. A weak correlation exists between the number of unscheduled stops and transit time, indicating less influence on the transit time. However, a strong correlation exists between dwell time during stops and travel time which is an indication of a substantial influence on transit time. Moreover, the number of stops does not influence the transit time significantly; whereas, the dwell time influences the transit time significantly. Furthermore, passengers’ transit time is increased drastically due to the long dwell time during unscheduled random stops rather than the number of stops themselves.