| dc.description.abstract | The objective of the study was to determine an indicative road pricing charge that can be
used to generate revenue for the maintenance of the Thika Highway. An exploratory
research design was adopted since the concept of road pricing is fairly new in Kenya.
Secondary sources of data were mainly used in this study. They included motor vehicles
registration database, government ministry reports, surveys and interviews with
professionals in the field. Data was analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social
Sciences (SPSS) version 11. Regression and correlation analysis was used to determine
the nature and the strength of the relationship between the independent and dependent
variables. Based on the regression and correlation analysis of each of the variables involved in the study, the findings indicated that the introduction of road pricing has the potential to
generate revenue for the maintenance of Thika Highway. This is well illustrated by the
existence of a strong correlation between the level of road pricing fees charged and the
revenue generated. It was established that maintenance costs, operating costs and
congestion charges would positively influence the revenue realized from road pricing.
This would imply that as more costs of this form are incurred, higher fees in the form of
road prices should be charged and this would lead to increased revenue. However,
controllable costs like operating costs, including equipment and administration costs
should be properly monitored to minimize the overall effective costs passed on to the
motorists. The study showed that the introduction of measures that discourage congestion
on roads should be used to minimize the fees charged on motorists plying the highway.
The overall regression results showed that passenger car units had a negative influence on
the price charged on motorists using Thika Highway. This would imply that as more
passenger car units are introduced on the highway, the price charged on motorists
decreases. The study also showed that the inclusion of a congestion fee in the road
pricing charge can be used to control the volume of motor vehicles on the road, thereby
offering a solution to traffic congestion. | en_US |
