Safety and Security Evaluation of Three-Wheeler Taxis as a Public Transport Mode in Kombolcha City
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Date
2023-11
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
In Kombolcha city, three-wheeler motor vehicles (Bajajs) serve as the primary mode of public transportation. Even though these motor vehicles have been designed for the purpose of public transport in developing countries, there is a lack of sufficient studies on their safety and security as a public transport mode. Based on that, this study examined the safety and security status of these three-wheeler taxis as a means of public transportation in Kombolcha city. To do that, questionnaire data from 395 respondents (passengers and drivers) and police-recorded crime as well as crash data were collected and analyzed. From the analysis, it was found that pedestrian collisions, overturning or toppling, and passengers jumping and falling while the vehicle was in motion were the most common types of accidents in 3-wheeler (Bajaj) taxis. In addition, multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to predict the severity level of crashes; in doing so, vehicle type involved in a crash, accident type, and accident causes were the factors that affect injury severity level at a significant level of p = 0.05 and a 95 percent confidence interval. According to the findings, the most common type of injury in 3-wheeler accidents was injury crashes, and pedestrian collisions were found to be the leading cause for the severity levels.
On the other hand, three years of crime data indicated that 3-wheeler-related crimes show an increasing trend, and as per the logistic regression analysis result, male passengers were more likely than female passengers to be beaten or hit, whereas female passengers were more likely to be robbed, snatched, or stolen. Additionally, the study indicated that 3-wheeler stations, the vehicle itself, and the way to or from 3-wheeler stations exposed travelers to crime incidents. For instance, theft crimes were higher inside 3-wheelers, whereas robbery/snatching and beating/hitting crimes were more common outside the three-wheelers. In general, passengers' feelings of safety and satisfaction level with security-related services significantly depended on gender, age, travel frequency, and occupation, with female passengers feeling more unsafe and dissatisfied than male travelers.
Overall, on Wednesday and Saturday, traffic and criminal activity in Kebele 03 of the city were higher and need close supervision by the city's traffic and regular police, respectively.
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Keywords
Three-wheeler, safety, security, public transport, crime, Kombolcha, Ethiopia