CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The everyday activity of students/people within and outside the federal university of technology Akure is becoming more difficult and complex. This is seen in the growing bumper-to-bumper traffic that is being experienced in the federal university of technology Akure especially during the hours of 7.30 am – 11.30am in the morning and 2.00pm – 7.30 pm. Nowadays, it looks as if traffic congestions in the school south gate are now becoming compelling acceptable justifications for staffs and lectures being late to work in FUTA metropolis. The poor traffic condition in FUTA grow as a product of the diverse land-use movements such as commercial, industrial, educational, administrative, public and semi-public, recreational land-use patterns and circulation land use and its consequential activities. Another reason can be the poor geographical location of the school, together with insufficient flyovers for pedestrians and the strange and unculturedattitudes of students who own and drive cars to school and unexpectedlarge increase in the car ownership among students have joined force to complicate FUTA traffic problems. Therefore, traffic cannot flow effectively to produce the desired result and the overall outcome is the blocking of the FUTA South gate. Specific factors mentioned in the literature as the factor militating efficient traffic in FUTA south gate and in educational institutions as a whole are: insufficient parking spaces and flyovers for pedestrians, overreliance on road and indiscipline among the motorists/pedestrians, etc. One method to resolving this issues that should be embraced by the FUTA is traffic management. Traffic management is seen as a step by step and prolongedserious attempt on conducting and controlling the traffics on the school roads/gates to make the roads or gate from negative effects of the traffic.

1. STATEMENT OF THE GENERAL PROBLEM

The ever increasing population of the FUTA community has resulted to lack of adequate traffic flow which has brought unprecedented hardship on both the staff and students as they spend a lot of time before either exiting or entering the institution through the south gate which has overtime proven to be a very strategic gate. The increasing population of the community has resulted to pressure on the available resources which originally wasn’t made for the population. the lack of flow of traffic in the FUTA south gate being a strategic gate has increased insecurity especially at this period when the nation is currently facing security/terrorism challenges as a lot of crimes has been recorded during this period of traffic jam.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The major aim of the study is to examine the factors affecting traffic flow at the FUTA south gate. Other specific objectives of the study are to;

1. To examine the prospects of ensuring free flow of traffic in FUTA south gate.
2. To determine the security implications of lack of free flow of traffic.
3. To review the role of the school administration in enduring free flow of traffic at the FUTA south gate.
4. To recommend ways of improving traffic flow at the FUTA south gate.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What are the factors affecting the free flow of traffic at the FUTA south gate?
2. What are the prospects of ensuring free flow of traffic in FUTA south gate?
3. What are the security implications of lack of free flow of traffic?
4. What is the role of the school administration in enduring free flow of traffic at the FUTA south gate?
5. What are the ways of improving traffic flow at the FUTA south gate?

RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0: There are no factors affecting traffic flow at the FUTA south gate.

H1: There are factors affecting traffic flow at the FUTA south gate.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study would be of great importance to the school management as it would unveil the factors responsible for the lack of traffic flow at the FUTA south gate while at the same time proffer solutions to the problem.

SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The study is restricted to the factors affecting the free flow of traffic using the FUTA south gate as the case study.

LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.