Comparing Spatial Accessibility and Travel Time Prediction to Commercial Centres by Private and Public Transport: A Case Study of Oforikrom District

Abstract

The relevance of accessibility in shaping transport planning has often been neglected, hampering on decisions to improve transport efficiency. This is increasingly becoming problematic, as they often impede on economic and technological developments. Many studies on accessibility assert that it is easier for public transport to reach an activity centre than it is for private transport. For this reason, the research compares travel time forecast and accessibility levels with private and public transports en route to commercial centres. The research involves a 21-day transport survey for private cars and public shuttles in Oforikrom district using Global Positioning System (GPS) probe to record the traffic performance indicators to be analyzed in a GIS environment. The results of the study display on a map the level of accessibility via the modes, and a comparative line plot of travel time with private and public transport. The study reveals that private cars in the district generally perform better than public shuttles on the level of accessibility, and travel time. The execution of the research shows that the convergence of choice of transport mode and travel time dynamics is crucial for policymakers to implement diverse transport modes and commuters to choose a mode that has low accessibility cost.