Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts of Trailer Parking Activities on Residents’ Wellbeing in Apapa Community, Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying the social, economic and environmental effects of trailer parking and its resultant influences on the wellbeing of residents of Apapa Local Government Area of Lagos state. This was achieved by identifying the characteristics of the residents, assessing the social, economic and environmental effects of trailer parking and examining the impacts of these effects on the wellbeing of residents and the kind of relationship existing between them. The study made use of primary and secondary data obtained from records, imagery files, maps, literature and the administration of questionnaire to residents of the community. 3 different residential zones, 5 political wards, 66 streets and 1149 buildings were identified within the study area. Multi-stage sampling was employed for the study where random sampling was used at the first stage inselecting wards within the residential zones and at the second stage, systematic random sampling was used in selecting 20% of the identified buildings in the streets. The socio-economic and environmental effects of trailer parking activities within the study area as observed included; very high level of traffic congestion and noise, poor sanitation, high level of obstruction to pedestrian movement, inadequate safety and moderate level of employment, security and rental value. The impacts of the environmental effects of these activities on the wellbeing of the residents as perceived by the respondents included stress, delay, energy wastage, inability to forecast travel time, high transport fare and loss of hearing. Others were loss of sleep, eyes irritation, risk to children's health, eye defects, respiratory problems, fear/risk of accidents and security threat. The
impacts of the social effects of trailer parking as observed by the respondents included the creation of potential hideouts for criminals, presence of inflammable products and aggression from drivers and motor boys while the impacts of the economic effects of these activities was the increase in the productive performance of the residents as opined by the respondents. Based on these findings, the study highlighted timing-limits, scheduling, and consideration of peak periods in determining parking spaces as salient recommendations to limit the negative effects of trailer parking and its consequential adverse impacts on the well-being of residents in the study area.