Trends and Factors Affecting the Use of Non-Motorized Modes of Transportation in Hawassa City, Ethiopia

Abstract

Initial modes of transportation for human beings were non-motorized. However, due to development in transport technology and requirement, these modes have been partly or fully replaced by motorized vehicles depending on the development level of the given country. Invention in motorization contributed for further advancements. Motorization has multifaceted benefits. However, individual risks ranging from property damages, health problems, injuries and deaths from traffic accidents and environmental problems due to construction of infrastructure and gas emissions are also the serious threats. Consequently, many nations of the world have started to incorporate non-motorized modes in their transportation systems in order to tackle such negative effects of motorization. Acceptance in non-motorized transport is getting a wide horizon at the world scale because it is economically feasible, environmentally less damaging and socially inclusive. As true for many developing countries, dominant mode of transportation in both urban and rural areas of Ethiopia is still non-motorized. Hawassa with a population of 183,027 (2010 projection) is one of the emerging cities in Ethiopia, had been greatly experiencing the use of non-motorized transportation. However, currently this situation is practically changing since motorization is slowly becoming the main mode of transportation in the city. The dominant public mode of current transportation is Bajaj (auto rickshaws/three wheelers) which have low occupancy in their nature showing the need of numerous fleets to transport relatively few people. The exhaust from these fleets, road congestions, noise pollutions and so on is becoming motorization-related problems in the city. In view of this, the paper has focused on trends in non-motorized modes of transportation and associated factors. Data sources were respondents from a household survey in Hawassa city. Descriptive and inferential statistics are used for analyses. The result has shown that modes of transportation and reasons for walking and bicycling are not independent.

Keywords: Non-motorized modes of transport, Environment, Walking and bicycling