Demographic and Socioeconomic Determinants of Transport Mode Choice among Commuters in Kano Metropolis

This study examined demographic and socioeconomic associations with transport mode choice in Kano metropolis, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey provided 1,183 observations across Zoo Road, Hadejia Road, and Katsina Road. Multinomial logistic regression compared Public Bus, Private Motorcycle, Taxi, and Private Car with Keke Napep while adjusting for trip and spatial characteristics. Keke Napep was the most frequently used mode for 48.7% of respondents, followed by Private Car (25.3%), Private Motorcycle (18.5%), Public Bus (3.9%), and Taxi (3.6%). Omnibus likelihood-ratio tests identified gender, age group, education, and monthly household income as significant predictors; occupation (p = .061) and household size (p = .179) were not significant overall. Women had a lower relative risk of Private Motorcycle use (RRR = 0.172, p < .001) and a higher relative risk of Public Bus use (RRR = 6.723, p = .020) than men, relative to Keke Napep. Each increase in household-income category was positively associated with Private Motorcycle (RRR = 1.534, p = .002) and Private Car use (RRR = 3.909, p < .001). McFadden pseudo-R² was 0.7143, and in-sample classification accuracy was 85.55%. The findings support attention to commuter characteristics in transport planning. Sparse mode–predictor combinations and an inconclusive independence-of-irrelevant-alternatives assessment limit interpretation of some estimates. The findings represent adjusted associations rather than causal effects.