Accessibility and Transport Needs of Rural People in Ghana: How Relevant Are Appraisal Models

The focus of governments in developing countries like Ghana is on the construction of feeder road infrastructure with little or no provision for the vehicles that are needed to ply on the roads after their construction. It is generally assumed that once the feeder roads have been put in place, they will attract the private sector to complement the effort of government by operating commercial transport services on the feeder roads. However, most people living along feeder roads in Ghana face difficulties in accessing reliable transport for their social and economic needs. Through a qualitative approach, the study was done in five rural communities in two Regions in Ghana by engaging 72 participants in focus group discussions as well as 18 feeder roads experts to assess the accessibility and mobility needs of people living along feeder roads in Ghana. Responses gathered from the experts indicate that in the design of roads, the type of vehicles that are envisaged to be used on the road are factored by experts. However, issues on transportation itself, such as the use of vehicles are left to the rural people. The study revealed that feeder roads selected for construction using Government of Ghana funds are not appraised. However, roads funded by donors are always subjected to evaluation to merit their selection for construction or rehabilitation. The study concludes that road projects can have significant positive impact on people if it considers the environment, improves safety, supports sustainable economic growth, provides equal access and integrates all transport networks.