Travels Pattern and Socio-economic Characteristics of Rail Transport Passengers in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

This paper addressed the relationships between the travels pattern and socio-economic characteristics of the rail patrons in metropolitan Lagos. Data used were derived from both primary and secondary sources. The primary data focused on train passengers in order to capture their socio-economic and travel characteristics. Passengers were purposively selected from a total number of 1,100 passengers on board. A sample size of 210 was used and this represented the total number of questionnaires that were administered for the study. The study adopted the use of descriptive and inferential data analytical tools. Travel purpose showed that, 69.5% of the patrons travelled for employers' and private businesses. On the frequency of travels, 53.8% of the train patrons made between 9 and 10 trips per week. The maximum trip distance was 35 kilometers and 54.8% of the train patrons' traveled between 22 and 35 kilometers per day. Besides, 77.1% of the patrons spent between 60 and 120 minutes in a trip made in Lagos metropolis. The correlation analysis revealed a negative relationship between the travel demands (trip frequency) and passengers' travel time. Also, it revealed a positive relationship between marital status and age of passengers. This was supported by the stepwise multiple regression analysis. The study concluded that, the socio-economic characteristics and travel pattern variables should be complemented by policy statements for the development of rail transport system in Lagos metropolis.