Appraisal of Intra-Urban Road Furniture in Ilorin, Nigeria

Abstract

Road furniture addresses several challenges associated with road transportation. On this premise, this paper appraises the intra-urban road furniture in Ilorin, Nigeria, aimed at taking the inventory, categorizing the available, and analysing the conditions and impacts of road furniture on the residents. The coordinates of the location for road furniture were determined with the aid of a handheld Global Positioning System (GPS), while a multistage sampling procedure was adopted for the distribution of 369 copies of a structured questionnaire among the residents. Personal enumeration and evaluation were used in evaluating existing road infrastructure while the Impact of Road Furniture Index (IRFI) was measured with the aid of a Likert scale of measurement and was developed to evaluate the impact on the residents. Maps, frequency and tables were used to illustrate and summarise the results of descriptive analysis. One thousand, one hundred and ninety-four (1,194) units of different road furniture were identified. The result revealed that the provision of road furniture within the study area is very inadequate and poorly maintained due to the high cost of construction, maintenance, and topography. Majority are in a state of dilapidation and not functioning effectively due to vandalism, inadequate maintenance, climatic conditions, and financial constraints. The study suggested the need for provision of adequate road furniture, repairs of dilapidated and total replacement of damaged ones for effective traffic control to enrich the sustainable development of urban roads as well as to ensure the safety of all the road users within Ilorin city.