Usage of Autogas within the Road Transport Industry in Two Contrasting Settlements in Ghana

Abstract

Road transport carries beyond 95% of passenger and freight traffic in Ghana. Though autogas, also referred to as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was traditionally encouraged to be used in residences and households, many road transport owners and drivers have shifted to the use of the fuel. The main objective of the study was therefore to ascertain the consumption characteristics of autogas in the urban and rural administrative districts in the Central Region of Ghana. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative methods in gathering data, using questionnaire and interview schedule. Multistage sampling technique was used in choosing the region, Metropolitans, Municipalities and Districts (MMDs). Ten rural and urban districts were considered while five hundred and fifty-six drivers partook in the study. Open- and closed-ended questions were posed. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software (Version 21) was employed as the in the analysis. Descriptive tools such as frequencies, percentages, and tables were utilized in the analysis. It was found among others that between 19 percent (within the districts) and 39 percent (in the metropolis/municipalities) of the drivers use autogas to power their vehicles comprising taxis, private cars and minibuses. The ratios of autogas, gasoline and gasoil usage in the rural and urban districts were 19:29:58 and 39:20:45 respectively. This consumption can be said to be substantial enough to influence autogas shortages. The paper recommends that there must be an integrated and holistic approach, designed in a strategic fashion in dealing with the supply chain of the fuel to avoid frequent shortages.

Keywords: liquefied petroleum gas; rural; transportation; urban.