Abstract
This study examined the effectiveness of the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) in reducing traffic congestion in Abuja metropolis, Nigeria. The study assessed the causes of traffic congestion, the level of deployment of ITS and the effectives of ITS in traffic management. The study adopted a mixed research design, with a population of 42973 road users and a sample size of 396 respondents shared between different categories of road users such as private and commercial vehicle drivers. A structured questionnaire administered to road users and interview with transport officials served as data collection instruments. Collected data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as mean, percentages and frequencies. The hypothesis was tested using Pearson correlation analysis, while interview responses were analysed thematically. Findings revealed that high level of vehicle ownership, poor public transport and traffic management systems were the major causes of traffic congestion in Abuja. ITS was still at a nascent stage, characterised by a coverage rate of less than 30% of total road intersections in Abuja, with a moderately effective impact on traffic management (mean = 3.37). Pearson correlation analysis further revealed that improvement in ITS effectiveness will result in reduced congestion (r = 0.584, p < 0.05). Government was encouraged to invest more in the expansion of ITS infrastructure across major road corridors and intersections within Abuja metropolis.