ROAD TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT AND CUSTOMERS SATISFACTION

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Road Transportation is a necessary end right from early history. The mobility of people and materials especially in the present days become one of the greatest needs that have to be adequately satisfied on our society and economy at large.

Transportation is referred to as the engine of the economy  (Kunri 2005:79). This means that with out transportation management system, the entire economy will suffer stagnation. Transportation helps to bridge the gap between producers, suppliers and industrials users as well as individual commuters.

Research has shown that transportation alone account for about 46% of the total physical distribution costs for manufacturing companies and 28 % for reseller companies

It is important to note that not much success can be accomplish in manufacturing, distribution of goods and services including the movement of people without transportation.

It is as a result of the great importance attached to transportation that man has over the years developed various transportation modes in other to facilitate the movement of people and materials. The mode of transportation selected will greatly depend on price, time, delivery, condition and destination, customer’s patronage, and past purchase satisfaction.

This poor transportation management can therefore jeopardize the source of procurement of materials; goods and services, movement or people and even course increase in prices and loss of lives.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Poor road transportation management is one major problem that is affecting the growth of the economy. Poor road transportation management has led to the ineffectiveness and collapse of the Nigerian road system that suppose to carry bulky goods from one city to another and has made inflation to be high. This in turn has bounced as the road transportation system characteristized by heavy duty lorries overworking the road system and the resultant effect is damages of roads causing accidents and loss of lives and property.

Poor management of Peace mass transit transportation system has caused breakdown of vehicles that has resulted in goods and movement of people not being able to reach their destination on time.

This poor management of road transportation systems has cost the nation a damaged image, loss of huge amount of money, loss of lives and properties and most customers are greatly dissatisfied with condition of road transportation in Nigeria.

Lack of poor technological development to monitor or regulate the speed of vehicles, lack of clean vehicles, high overloading of men and goods are great problems to road transportation. In addition, the poor attitude of drivers towards their passengers is nothing to write home about.

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The over all objective of this research is to investigate the impact of road transportation management that will yield satisfaction to customers.

The specific objectives include:

To explore the operation of road transportation management in Nigeria as regard to peace mass Transit.

To identify the problems of road transportation management in Nigeria  

To determine the contribution obtained from effective road transportation management in Nigeria.

To identify the impact of road transportation management on the Nigerian economy

To make useful recommendation to road transportation management in Nigeria.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1.     Does road transportation management play any important role in the movement of goods and services?

Are commuters satisfied when there is breakdown of vehicle on the high way?

Are commuters satisfied when they do not reach their destination as scheduled?

Are commuters satisfied when driver is at high speed limit?

Does Peace Mass transportation company have adequate modern technology and infrastructure to the satisfaction of customer?

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be useful to many sectors of the economy, as little research has been done on this area. Thus road transport companies, ministry of works, transport, and academic will benefit immensely from this study.

Also, the commuters, manufacturing companies and businessmen especially the middlemen will equally benefit from the study.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This research work covers the road transportation system in Nigeria with special focus to PMT, their functions operationalization, problems and government policies to regulate this industry as to deliver maximum satisfaction to the public.

1.7   LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The researcher faced some limitation during the course of this research. Some branches or Peace Mass transport companies were unwillingly to supply the needed information due to the confidential and sensitive of the data. Thus research work have to source for the available data.

Time and financial factor were also the major factors as the timeframe to submit the project was too short for an extensive research. Lack of adequate finance to fund the researcher as to visit many places was another major setback.

1.8   DEFINITION OF TERMS

MOT:       Ministry of Transport

VIO:         Vehicle Inspector Officer

FSLC:      First School Leaving Certificate

WEAC:     West African Examination Council

 NCE:       National Certificate of Education

OND:        Ordinary National Diploma

BSc:         Bachelor of Science

HND:        Higher National Diploma   

PMT:        Peace  Mass  Transit
 

REFERENCES

Okakunori, O.K. (2006). Transportation Management. Enugu: Grovani Publishers.

Vewere, T. A (2000). Business Management. Benin City: Flovent System Publishers.

Ineigbenebor, A. U. (2005), Introduction to Business. Benin City: Uri Publishing Ltd.