Assessing Urban Infrastructure Design, Mobility Patterns and Risk of Injury Among Female Head Porters in the CBD of Kumasi

Abstract

The presence of pedestrian infrastructure in cities serves as a safety net for vulnerable road users. Female head porters are classified among the vulnerable in the city as their activities involve walking throughout the city centre with heavy loads from one point to the other. Many researchers have studied the various vulnerabilities of female head porters with little to no insights into their mobility issues. This study assessed the pedestrian infrastructure, female head porters’ movement in the Central Business District (CBD) of Kumasi, and how they are exposed to injuries. Questionnaires, interview schedules, and an observation checklist were used to collect data for the study. The study sampled 223 female head porters using purposive, accidental and snowballing sampling techniques. In addition, three key stakeholders were purposively sampled for this study. The findings from the study indicated that pedestrian infrastructure in the CBD of Kumasi is fairly adequate to accommodate the pedestrian volume. Furthermore, the study reveals that several factors influence the movements of female head porters in the city but paramount among these factors is the economic factor, the need for the female head porter to be engaged. During their daily mobilities, female head porters encounter several injuries resulting from their usage of the road and pedestrian infrastructure in the CBD. These include falling into open drainages, tripping due to obstruction on the road, and colliding with other pedestrians. However, these injuries have not been classified under road traffic injuries and getting concrete statistics from designated agencies proved futile. The study therefore recommends the inclusion of injuries due to pedestrian falls, trips and collisions with other pedestrians into the definition of transport injuries.