Abstract
The study attempts to analyze the spatial flow pattern of rural freight and vehicular traffic characteristics generated by rural markets in the South Western Nigeria. A questionnaire survey of commodities loaded and transported as well as rural freight operators in selected rural market locations was carried out to determine their types, volume and destinations. In addition, vehicular traffic flow count was carried out to estimate the flow and type of vehicles used for rural freight transport operations. The findings reveal that rural market goods are mainly demanded within the region; 73.6% of goods are attracted within region. Only about 26.4% of rural market goods are attracted by other states outside the region. The spatial flow pattern show that rural freight transportation is bedeviled with numerous challenges; the major ones among them are extortions by security agents, poor road condition and insecurity constituting 24.3%, 21.4% and 16.2% respectively. Based on these findings, some policy recommendations like adopting rural market with high volume of goods as major centres for rural goods distribution where modern freight handling facilities, such as storage, shed, warehousing and other auxiliary services are provided to facilitate rural freight operations. This will not only improve freight distribution and transportation in the study area but the country in general.
Key Words: Rural freight, Market, Distribution, Flow, Transportation, Vehicular traffic
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