Assessing the Causes & Impacts of Traffic Congestion on the Society, Economy and Individual: A Case of Mauritius as an Emerging Economy

Abstract

Mauritius has undergone massive developments during the past several years. However, along with economic progress, these developments have also been the cause of trouble for the Mauritian population as they have worsened the problem of traffic congestion. Providing state-of-the-art transportation systems is thus crucial for the proper functioning of the Mauritian economy and society. Hence, the paper explores the repercussions that traffic congestion has on the society, economy, and individual. Also, the paper seeks to examine the impact of traffic congestion on several aspects, such as worker productivity, economic growth, commuter health and safety, travel reliability, and the environment. Questionnaires have been helpful tools in obtaining quantitative data. A sample of 100 respondents, consisting of people travelling to and from Ebene and Port Louis on a daily or regular basis, was selected using convenience sampling. The data obtained were then analysed through the SPSS software. Results indicated that traffic congestion negatively impacted on various aspects of the society and economy. The study has depicted that the respondents have affirmed that traffic congestion has an adverse effect on the society, the economy, and the individual. The paper discusses important practical issues relating to traffic congestion in Mauritius, its sources and its effects on the society, the economy, and the individual. Thus, it provides insights to the Mauritian Government and policy-makers on the ways in which they can measure traffic congestion, manage traffic more effectively, adopt appropriate policies, and invest in infrastructural projects. This paper is apt, original, and a must-read as it discusses such issues as traffic congestion, its roots, and its repercussions on the Mauritian society, economy, and individual.

Factors Determining the Development of Intelligent Transport Systems

“…An analysis of the scientific literature found that the authors used different methods to evaluate the development and benefits of ITS. For example, Toulouki et al (2017) used a survey method in their study of the benefits of ITS, and Plaksin et al (2015), Vencataya et al (2018) calculated the cost of congestion. A cost-benefit analysis is often used to assess the socioeconomic profitability of investments in ITS development (Öörni, 2019).…”

“…In order to assess the economic benefits of ITS, it is important to identify the financial damage caused by problems in the transport system that ITS are expected to solve. The main costs in the transport sector are caused traffic jams and traffic accidents, and policy makers seek to reduce their impact on society (Vencataya et al, 2018). Janušová and Čičmancová (2016) note that ITS are used to solve problems in the transport system and increase passenger safety, reduce travel time and fuel consumption.…”

Impact of Rainfall on Traffic Speed in Major Cities of China

“…By the end of 2019, China's megacities included Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, and Chongqing. Due to an increase in the population, this is bound to result in more travelers and a higher travel demand [40][41][42]. Therefore, this section utilizes population as an indicator to measure social development and analyzes the impact of urban population growth on traffic vulnerability.…”

Addressal to the Rising Problem of Traffic Congestion in Kalimpong, West Bengal: Causes and Preventive Measures

“…Truly, in geographically restricted smaller areas or region where the number of roads one can adopt to reach its destination is limited and where substantial increase in population and vehicles is taking place, traffic congestion is bound to subsurface. This occurs mainly because of the poor road conditions, varying road way features, poor lane discipline, inappropriate bus-stop location and design, diversity of traffic, and unrestrained on-street parking (Vencataya, Pudaruth, Dirpal, & Narain, 2018). According to Maji, one of the oldest city of West Bengal-Asansol , is facing the problems of congestion and is largely attributed to improper planning, tremendous growth in population and illegal parking, and in big cities like Nagpur, according to Marve, Bhorkar & Bitule, the main causes of traffic congestion is the exceeding of the volume of traffic by road capacity.…”