And Opoku-Agyemang (OA)
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Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1700 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2855 (Online) Vol.11, No.4, 2020 Ricardian Model of Comparative Cost Advantage in Operating Intercity State Transport Corporation (ISTC) and Opoku-Agyemang (O.A) Travel and Tour Sarah Hackman 1* Erasmus Tetteh-Bator 2 Theophilus Quachie Asenso 3 1. Academic Affairs, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Sokode-Lokoe, Ho, Ghana 2. College of Science, Hohai University, No. 1 Xikang Road, 211100, Nanjing, China 3. Department of Mathematics, Northwest University, No. 229 North Taibai Avenue, Xi'an, China Abstract This study employed the Ricardian Model of Comparative Cost Advantage, the study was able to relate to how much productive or cost efficient one transport corporation is than the other. In this case, the research centered on how much one transport provider is efficient in a particular service than the other and therefore can tell which transport corporation should resort to specializing in human transport and leave parcel transport service and vice versa due to high patronage. Stratified sampling was used to divide the population into homogeneous subgroups (Bosco training Collage, UDS Navrongo Campus, OA bus terminal and ISTC bus terminal). Structured questionnaire was design and administered to generate precise and accurate information on the effectiveness of Intercity State Transport Coaches ltd (ISTC) and Opoku Agyeman travel and tour (O.A) in terms of human transport and parceling services. The study revealed that O.A, is a private enterprise that is time conscious in terms of delivery. ISTC on the other hand specializes in safety. From the research, the cost of transporting humans from Bolgatanga to Kumasi and vice versa was lower for O.A than ISTC and this allows most customers to prefer O.A to ISTC. However, the affordability of charges of parcels moving from Kumasi to Bolgatanga and vice versa is better in ISTC than O.A. This gives O.A a comparative cost advantage in terms of human transportation than ISTC. ISTC however has a comparative cot advantage over O.A in parceling service. Keywords: Ricardian Model, Comparative Cost Advantage, Opportunity Cost Theory, Productive Possibility Frontier, Transportation. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/11-4-03 Publication date: February 29 th 2020 1. Introduction Transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. It is inevitable in the life of people and goods that are moving from one place to the other. Transportation is an important parameter in civilization since it enables trade between two parties. It is done either by foot, road, air or sea. (Bellis, M. (2012). Humans' first means of transport were walking and swimming. The domestication of animals introduces a new way to lay the burden of transport on more powerful creatures, allowing heavier loads to be hauled, or humans to ride the animals for higher speed and duration. Inventions such as the wheel and sled helped make animal transport more efficient through the introduction of vehicles. Also, water transport, including rowed and sailed vessels, dates back to time immemorial, and was the only efficient way to transport large quantities or over large distances prior to the industrial revolution. (Bellis, M. (2012). A mode of transport is a solution that makes use of a particular type of vehicle, infrastructure and operation. The transport of a person or of cargo may involve one mode or several modes, with the latter case being called intermodal or multimodal transport. Each mode has its advantages and disadvantages, and will be chosen for a trip on the basis of cost, capability, route, and speed. Such of these modes include land, water, rail and air. A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. Roads are typically smoothed, paved, or otherwise prepared to allow easy travel. It is the cheapest form of transportation. In the third world, about 90% of transportation is done by this mode. There are various forms of road transport including; Human-powered road transport, Animal-powered road transport, Railroad transport, Automobile road transport. (Transportation, 2016). Transportation has a key influence on the society. Its impact cuts across the economy, planning and the environment at large. In terms of economics, transport is a key component of growth and globalization. It is a key necessity for specialization; allowing the production and consumption of products to occur at different locations. Transport allows more trade and a greater spread of people. Increasing capacity and rationality of transport has been the backbone of economic growth. Transport planning allows for high utilization and less impact regarding new infrastructure. Using models of transport forecasting, planners are able to predict future transport patterns. On the operative level, logistics allows owners of cargo to plan transport as part of the supply chain. (Transportation, 2016). Transportation in Ghana is not different from most countries in the world. It includes all the modes of transport; 19 Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1700 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2855 (Online) Vol.11, No.4, 2020 ranging from air, through land to water. Shuttles or carriers such as aeroplanes, trains, automobiles, bicycles, boats and ships are frequently used. The most common mode of transportation patronized by Ghanaians is the road transport due to its cost-effectiveness and averagely its safety. Road transportation serves as a dominant mode of transport in Ghana, accounting for about 98% of freight and 95% of passenger movement. According to (Driver Vehicle and License Authority (DVLA), 2006), the total road transport registered between 1995 to March 2006 was 783,531. This figure consisted of 336,740 Private Cars (42%), 100,183 Taxis (13%), 51,724 Light Duty Vehicles (7%), 109,258 Buses (14%), 69,274 Heavy Duty Vehicles (9%) and 116,352 Motor Cycles (15%). In the field of road transport, there exist three major ways; Taxis, Trotro and Commuter buses. (Ghana Ministry of Transport Report, 2012). All public road transport service providers are expected to register with the Ghana Private Road Transport Users (G.P.R.T.U) of the Trade Union Congress (T.U.C). For the purpose of this research, attention was shifted to intercity road transport service providers. Currently in this country, there a number of intercity road transport service providers. Among these are: VIP Transport Service, Action Transport, Opoku-Agyemang (O. A) Travel and Tour, Metro Mass Transit (MMT) and the State Transport Corporation (STC). The study had considered transportation services of Opoku-Agyemang (O.A) Travel and Tour and the State Transport Corporation. O. A. Travel & Tour is a Ghanaian registered Company specializing in the provision of transport management services to the general public and the mining industry. Its head office is in Kumasi. Nana Opoku Agyemang who is a renowned businessman founded O.A. Travel and Tours. After its formal registration, as a transport service it was then named O.A. Travel and Tours. Initially it was operating under the GPRTU, till it started on its own, which has been successful over the years. O.A. has grown from strength to strength over the years with such hardworking staff. O.A. is a member of the Ghana Car Rental Association. With regards to services, Over the years the general public has realized that O.A. offers efficient services to its customers, this has increased the public patronage. Services provided can be categorized into two forms: passenger transportation and parceling services. In view of this, management was compelled to listen to the general public requests to have an extension of its services to some towns, which O.A was not in existence there. O.A. therefore extended its transport services to the following towns and Cities to continue to offers its good and reliable transport service it has rendered successfully to the public over the years. The areas are as follows; Drobo, Sunyani, Techiman, Tamale, Cape Coast, Bolgatanga, Berekum, Obuasi, Dormaa, Accra, Techiman, Sunyani, Paga, Nkwanta, Yeji. Due to the efficient and dedicated services O. A. Travels offers, it has endeared the general public to the use of its buses. Student's organizations of most of the Tertiary Institutions in Ghana have been hiring buses to their trips, hall week celebrations and vacation travels. Students from such institutions have enjoyed the good services of O.A. Transports. Opoku-Agyemang (O.A) Travel & Tours is also providing transport services to the mining companies in AngloGold Ashanti Limited in Obuasi and Golden Star Limited at Bogoso. (Opoku- Agyemang, 2016). Intercity State Transport Service, from its name is a government owned transport service provider which offers a variety of services including passenger transport and parceling. It is one of the oldest transport operators in the country. InterCity State Transport Corporation (ISTC) has the farthest reach and widest network on the local market. With the exception of Koforidua, InterCity State Transport Corporation (ISTC) runs services to and from all Regional Capitals in Ghana. The Company has parcels service, the Package Express, and delivers packages to all destinations listed on the schedule. The Package Express targets corporate bodies, businesses and individuals that require rapid delivery of huge, medium and small parcels to destinations in and around our service stations. This includes major courier companies, pharmaceutical and chemical companies, financial institutions, security services, government ministries, departments and agencies, automobile companies, non-government organizations as well as individuals. In the aspect of parceling, ISTC employs the weight-to-cost charging system where the parcel to be delivered is charged based on its corresponding weight. (InterCity STC, 2016) Both Opoku-Agyemang (O.A) and Intercity State Transport Corporation (ISTC) provides parcel transportation service as well as human transport service.