ABSTRACT:

This paper focused on road transport commuters in Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria who might be considered more vulnerable to travel expenditure shocks. It examined how the cost of transport affects the lives of commuters in Dutse metropolis specifically and taking into consideration the transport money cost (transport fare) on household income & disposable income and sensitivity analysis of money cost on travel demand (elasticity of demand). The study focused on the 5 wards that covers Dutse metropolis, using the Taro Yamane formula with 95% confidence level and 5% margin of error, the sample size is 400. Where 400 questionnaires were distributed. The study found out that there is high number of low-income earners in the range of N30,000-N60,000 per month, with a high number of self-employed, and most are educated up to the University Degree level. There was an increase of 60% of transport fare after the removal of fuel subsidy, and a resultant 35% of commuter’s monthly income is spent on transport fare. Transport demand also reduced, commuter mobility also reduced, and respondents resorted to walking for their mobility due to the price hike after fuel subsidy removal. Lastly, the knowledge and understanding of what carpooling is low, however, respondents use the available public transport. One of the recommendations of the study is to integrate land-use and transport planning processes and related institutional arrangements at the city level to reduce travel time by locating offices, schools, markets, and areas of public interest along public transport route and within walking distance of each other.