Barbara Gruehl Kipke

Bicycle Usage in Two Cities of Africa

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PROCEDURE OF RESEARCH - Methodology

Classic traffic algorithms such as the "four-step-model" are not suited to determine individual behaviour and the resulting transport requirements. A behaviour-oriented approach enables in-depth analysis, that can be used as a basis for prognoses. It is not sufficient to understand individual behaviour, rather it should be seen within the context of the social decision-making unit: the household. The household decides on the purchase of vehicles and subsequent usage within the household by household members. For that reason, a household survey was chosen, that will be conducted with the aid of a questionnaire. The questionnaire asks about individual behaviour and resulting trips, access to vehicles and vehicle usage. In each household four representative individuals are chosen if this is possible: a man, who is usually the head of household, a woman, a girl and a boy. In cities this does not always correspond to the traditional family (father, mother, daughter, son). This choice of age and gender differentiating characteristics provides information on the division of labour within the household, and thus the resulting transportation needs.
The survey, that takes place in the home setting, takes approximately two hours. The survey is conducted by interviewers who are fluent in the local languages. Twenty-four students of the German language at the University of Ouagadougou will conduct the survey in Ouagadougou. The National Services Secretariat in Tamale is providing eight interviewers for the survey, who for the most part have university degrees.