Public transport preferences amongst Ghana's urban dwellers

Purpose - This study considered five means of transport, both old and emerging ones and analysed the preferences of city dwellers in a rapidly expanding African city such as Accra. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 891 respondents participated and were selected through a multistage sampling method. The Garrett and Kendall's ranking methods, Pearson chi-square test and a choice model were employed to assess respondents' preferences for various means of transport, the motivating factors for these preferences and socio-economic characteristics associated with these preferences. Findings - The results show that there are clear preferences with respect to transport choices, which are motivated by factors such as price, comfort, security and even availability. In addition, socio-economic characteristics of respondents such as age, income, car ownership status and employment status are associated with respondents' preference for one means of transport over the other. Research limitations/implications - The study analyses transport preferences for modes of transport commonly used in urban areas. The findings have implications for the transport policy adopted in an urban area such as Accra. The findings suggest that for maximum patronage, public authorities in Accra or Ghana may invest more in transport services which are readily available, have moderate prices and provide comfort to urban dwellers. This may improve standard of living of urban dwellers and enhance productivity. Originality/value - The paper presents new evidence of drivers that influence choice for traditional and emerging transport services in a developing economy such as Ghana. Not many studies do such comparative analysis. Peer review - The peer review history for this article is available at:https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-05-2022-0360