Abstract

Inter-urban transportation refers to the movement of people and goods from one urban area to another in a given country or region.

Inter-urban transportation is inevitably important because it connects places. This study was aimed to analyze inter-urban transportation problems in Bamenda, the case of Mobile Nkwen and Hospital Round About in the Bamenda III and Bamenda II municipalities.

The methodology involved the collection of both primary and secondary data. Data were analysed using descriptive methods.

The main finding of the research reveals that there exist inter-urban transportation challenges in Mobile Nkwen and Hospital Round About in Bamenda and the managements strategies been put in place by the council are not sustainable as the problem persist.

Therefore, other sustainable planning and management strategies were proposed at the conclusion and recommendation of this work.

Keywords: Inter-urban transportation,

Further reading: Geography project topics with materials

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Transportation is an aspect that is a concern with mobility, particularly how this mobility is taking place in the content of a wide variety of conditions. Mobility is a geographical endeavour since it trades space for a cost. The purpose of transportation is to overcome space, which is shaped by a variety of human and physical constraints such as distance, time, administrative decisions and topography (Jean et al, 2006).

In the space of just a few decades, urban areas across the world, in both developed and developing countries have become increasingly automobile-dominated and less sustainable.

In developing countries, in particular, cities have experienced rapid growth in transport-related challenges, including pollution, congestion, accidents, public transport decline, environmental degradation, climate change, energy depletion, visual intrusion, and lack of accessibility for the urban poor.

In the more developed countries, particularly in Northern Europe, some cities have witnessed a trend of reclaiming urban space from the automobile and prohibiting cars from major parts of downtown areas and confining them in other ways.

Today, these places are often considered as leading examples of sustainable urban development, as cities across the world strive to meet urban sustainability standards by improving public transport, encouraging non-motorized modes, creating pedestrian zones, limiting the use of private cars, and otherwise trying to undo the transformation of cities caused by automobile dominance.

Concepts of automobile restraint that were unthinkable just a few decades ago are now being considered or even adopted in many urban areas around the globe, both north and south, with the encouragement and support of major international organizations (Dorina and Dominic, 2015).

The increasing value of time in modern society has brought high-speed railway and air transport to the forefront of today’s inter-urban transport. Japan for example, with the advent of Shinkansen in 1964, has high-speed railways in inter-city travel.

This was followed by other European countries, South Korea and the USA who also introduced high-speed inter-urban transport (Katsuhiro and Kiyoshi, 2009).

The urbanization of Cameroon during the 20𝑡ℎand 21𝑡ℎ century has led to the emergence of new towns and cities all over the country.

This was also followed by an increase in human activities, the dominant being agriculture, followed by commercial and tertiary activities.

All these activities in the different towns and cities in Cameroon have a great need for transportation for their operation.

The town of Bamenda is one of the largest cities in Cameroon. Around 1899, it emerges as the largest urban area in the western highlands of Cameroon.

This was continuously followed by an increase in urbanization of the neighbouring town around it putting a high demand on the access road which was due to the continuous increase and numerous human activities. As a result, inter-urban transportation problems emerged.

Regional Hospital Round About and Mobile Nkwen are two of the busiest and most active areas in Bamenda due to their geographical location as gateways to many towns and villages in the northwest and beyond.

Inter-urban transportation problems in the form of traffic congestion, illegal loading and offloading, non-legalized human activities especially informal sector activities which are very dominant and other legalized human activities are common in these areas.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Transportation is a very important activity in the tertiary sector of Bamenda. This explains why there exist numerous travel agencies, public parks and checkpoints all over the town of Bamenda.

Inter-urban transportation is a common phenomenon in the city. However, the activity is plagued by numerous challenges, ranging from traffic congestion, parking scarcity, car dependency and many others.

These problems are common in areas like Mobile Nkwen and Hospital Round About.

Traffic congestion, for example, has become a daily problem in Hospital Round About and Mobile Nkwen.

Also with the increasing urbanization of the town of Bamenda, new roads have been constructed linking the neighbouring interior villages to the centre of the city.

These have caused vast movement of people to the city centre of Bamenda for different economic, socio-cultural and political reasons.

This has also caused the demand for urban transportation high, leading to an increase in the numbers of motorbikes, taxis and buses along the main road junction of Mobile Nkwen and Hospital roundabout. As a result, poor traffic flow has become dominant in these areas.

Furthermore, the rapid growth of the city of Bamenda makes it difficult for a single park to support the large number of vehicles that come from different urban areas in Cameroon.

As a result, new parks have been created, some towards the periphery and other travel agencies have emerged close to a road junction.

This has resulted in limited parking space, illegal loading and offloading and clandestine activities.

The Bamenda City Council began in the 1960s. In 1962 the Ngemba council was carved out of Widikum council to cater for the Ngemba tribe of Mezam Division, which are Mankon, Nsongwa, Mbafu, Mundum, Pinyin and Awing with Mankon as the headquarters.

The council was responsible for the Local administration of the lower and upper Ngemba tribes.

In 1964, Mankon urban town council was born out of the Ngemba Council to serve the urban area of Mankon which include areas like Ntambeng, Ntamulung, Mulang, Musang, etc.

In 1968, the name was changed from The Mankon urban town Council to Makon Area council with the president being Fon A.N Angwafor III.

In 1972 after the referendum of the United Republics of Cameroon, the name of the council was changed to the Mankon Rural Council. The status of the council was then raised from rural to urban.

It was then called the Bamenda Urban Council (BUC), with special status to be appointed by the state.

The Nkwen and Mendankwe council, which were formerly under the Tubah Council were brought to join the Bamenda Urban council.

The presidential decree of 17𝑡ℎ January 2008 which dissolved the urban status of the council to the City council led to the formation of Bamenda 1, 2, 3 and Bamenda City Council from the defunct of Bamenda Urban Council (BUC).

On the basis of the decree of 6/02/09, Mr Vincent Nji Ndumu becomes the pioneer Government delegate to the Bamenda City Council with the challenge of charting a new way forward and towards a city that will be the dream of all.

1.3 Research questions

1.3.1 Main Research Question

What are the challenges of Inter-Urban transportation in Mobile Nkwen and Hospital Round About in Bamenda?

1.5.2. Specific Questions

What is the state of inter-urban transportation in Mobile Nkwen and Hospital Round About in Bamenda?
What are the reasons for the growth of inter-urban transportation in Mobile Nkwen and Hospital Round About in Bamenda?
What problems plague inter-urban transportation in Mobile Nkwen and Hospital Round About?
How are these problems managed and how can they be resolved?
1.4 Objectives of the study

 1.4.1 Main Objective

To examine the challenges of inter-urban transportation in Mobile Nkwen and Hospital Round About in Bamenda.

1.4.2  Specific Objectives
To examine the state of Inter-urban transportation in Mobile Nkwen and Hospital Round About.
To determine the reason for the growth in Inter-urban transportation in Hospital Round 3) About and Mobile Nkwen in
To examine the problems of inter-urban transportation that manifest in Hospital Round About and Mobile
To evaluate the current management strategies of the problem and project sustainable planning

1.6. Research hypotheses

1.7.1. Main Hypotheses

Inter-urban transportation in Mobile Nkwen And Hospital Round About is characterized by several challenges.

1.2.2. Specific Hypotheses
The state of inter-urban transportation in Mobile Nkwen and Hospital Round About is not preferable.
They are many reasons responsible for the growth of inter-urban transportation in Mobile Nkwen and Hospital Round About in
Some problems plaguing inter-urban transportation in Mobile Nkwen and Hospital 4) Round About include traffic congestion, parking scarcity, car dependency, pollution and land used
Appropriate management strategies like traffic control, sanction, and fines have been put into place by the Bamenda City Council, but these strategies are inadequate for sustainable inter-urban transportation in Hospital Round About and Mobile Nkwen in Bamenda.

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The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout, Analysis of inter-urban transportation challenges in the city of Bamenda:

The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout, Analysis of inter-urban transportation challenges in the city of Bamenda:

The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout, Analysis of inter-urban transportation challenges in the city of Bamenda:

The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout, Analysis of inter-urban transportation challenges in the city of Bamenda:

The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout, Analysis of inter-urban transportation challenges in the city of Bamenda: The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout

analysis of inter-urban transportation challenges in the city of Bamenda: The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout, Analysis of inter-urban transportation challenges in the city of Bamenda: The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout, Analysis of inter-urban transportation challenges in the city of Bamenda:

The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout, Analysis of inter-urban transportation challenges in the city of Bamenda:

The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout, Analysis of inter-urban transportation challenges in the city of Bamenda:

The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout, Analysis of inter-urban transportation challenges in the city of Bamenda: The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout, Analysis of inter-urban transportation challenges in the city of Bamenda: The case of mobile Nkwen and hospital roundabout