Abstract:
Cities and traffic have developed hand-in-hand since the earliest large
human settlements. The level of urbanisation in the developing world indicates
that more people live in cities than before. This blueprint has led to high
unbearable levels of traffic congestion in cities, vehicle terminals, streets and
thoroughfares.
The main objective of the study was to examine issues and challenges
with respect to the siting of vehicle terminals in the Cape Coast metropolis.
The study employed a descriptive survey design to sample 196 respondents
and road management institutions in the Cape Coast metropolis through
simple random and purposive sampling techniques. The main instruments used
to collect data for the study were questionnaires and in-depth interviews.
The study revealed that passenger demands, availability of space,
limited space in the Central Business District, demand from community
members and availability of passengers were the main factors that contributed
to siting of vehicle terminals in the Cape Coast Metropolis. In addition, it was
found that stakeholders in the transport sector played key roles in managing
vehicle terminals, even though respondents were not satisfied with their roles.
The study recommends provision of proper and standard lorry
terminals, regular inspection, decongestion of illegal terminals and
collaboration among stakeholders as measures to deal with unplanned vehicle
terminals in the Metropolis
