/Traffic governance and regulatory compliance among commercial motorists in Nigeria: evidence from Ogbomoso, Oyo State
Abstract

This study assessed regulatory compliance among commercial motorists and examined the quality of their interactions with traffic enforcement agencies in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted in Ogbomoso North and Ogbomoso South. Purposive sampling was used to select 100 respondents: 60 commercial motorists, 10 police officers, 20 Federal Road Safety Corps officers, and 10 Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority officers. Data were collected with a four-point Likert questionnaire and supplementary interviews and analysed using frequencies and percentages in SPSS. Results: Self-reported compliance among motorists was low for vehicle licensing (11.7%), roadworthiness certification (13.3%), insurance certification (13.3%), possession of fire extinguishers (13.3%), number plates (11.7%), and traffic-light rules (11.7%). Enforcement-agency assessments were similarly unfavourable, with positive ratings generally ranging from 0% to 20%. Only 8.3% of motorists described themselves as accommodating or obedient towards traffic agencies, 13.3% reported politeness, and 86.7% acknowledged rudeness. FRSC and OYSTMA responses also indicated weak cooperation and high perceived rudeness, although the police response to the rudeness item differed from the broader pattern. Conclusions: Traffic governance in the study area is undermined by widespread non-compliance and adversarial relations between commercial motorists and enforcement personnel. Improvement requires proportionate enforcement, affordable and transparent documentation procedures, sustained road-safety education, institutional capacity building, and structured dialogue between regulators and transport operators.

RelatedView All
CitationsView All
Citing-
Cited By-