Local Government Ministry commences Household Travel Survey

The Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development (MLGDRD) today commenced a Household Travel Survey (HTS) in the Greater Accra, Eastern and Central Regions.

The survey is expected to end on Saturday September 30, 2023 with a targetted 7,500 households in 29 Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies in the beneficiary regions expected to be reached within the period. 
 
The exercise is being conducted under the local government ministry’s Ghana Urban Mobility and Accessibility Project (GUMAP) with support from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). It is aimed at collecting data to understand how households move within and between communities. It is also to identify the factors influencing travel choices of respondents. 
 
The outcome of the exercise will be used to inform evidence based policy decisions to help address the transportation needs of the ordinary Ghanaian and help improve on internal transport planning and management.

Households

During the period, trained interviewers will visit and administer questionnaires to respondents aged six years and above and elicit responses from them on travel-related information. 
 
The topics cover travel mode preferences (trotro or private vehicles), trip duration, purpose of travel, frequency of travel, commuting habits, access to transportation options, and challenges faced during travel. 
 
The beneficiary Metropolitan and Municipalities are Accra; Tema; Ga West, Central, East, North and South; and La Nkwantanang Madina. The others are Tema West; Ashiaman; Kpone Katamanso; Ledzokuku; Krowor; Korley Klottey; La Dadekotopon; Ayawaso North, East, Central and West. The rest are Ablekuma West, North and Central; Weija-Gbawe; Gomoa East; Nsawam Adoagyiri; Awutu Senya East; Ningo Prampram; Okaikwei North and Adentan.

Briefing

Briefing the media on the exercise in Accra on behalf of the Local Government Minister, Dan Botwe, the Director of Human Resources, Kwabena Denkyira, explained that the enumerators for the HTS will use standard data collection methodologies to gather the data, ensuring statistical accuracy and confidentiality of respondents. 
 
“This is a unique effort to gather comprehensive data on travel patterns, behaviours, and transportation demands of residents of the beneficiary regions, to inform transport planning and management” he revealed.  

He said the local government ministry was committed to transparency and accountability hence, upon completion of the survey, a comprehensive report would be prepared, highlighting the key findings, and recommendations based on the data gathered to be accessed on the Ministry’s website or through the Right to Information office at the Ministry.

“The success of the survey and the subsequent improvement of transportation planning in the beneficiary regions largely depend on the information provided by residents; Participation in the HTS is voluntary and all data collected will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and used strictly for research and policy purposes”he further emphasised. 
 
Mr Denkyira said the survey would also provide crucial insights into the experiences of different households with regards to transport choices and trip satisfaction by helping policymakers develop efficient transportation strategies that cater for the unique needs of Ghanaians.

Appeal

The Director, General Administration of  MLGDRD, Dela Kemevor, for his part appealed to the media to support the exercise by educating the public to cooperate with the enumerators whenever they visit their respective homes.