Spatial location of fuel retail outlets and their level of compliance with regulations: lessons from the Kumasi Metropolitan area

The increasing demand for petroleum products in urban centers due to the over-reliance on automobiles makes fuel retail outlets essential to modern society. Despite the potential environmental and social threats posed by the activities of fuel retail outlets in Ghana, there is limited scholarly attention on compliance with the regulations on the location of fuel retail outlets. Relying on a mixed methods approach, the present study sought to explore the factors that influence the spatial location of fuel retail outlets and the level of compliance with regulations that guide the siting of fuel retail outlets in the Kumasi Metropolis. The study adopted the purposive sampling technique in the selection of participants of the study and the grouping of the existing fuel retail outlets. The researchers found that proximity to major transport arterials, markets, shops, banks, and industries influences the location of fuel retail outlets. The study further established a higher level of non-compliance with regulations due to land use changes, poor enforcement regimes as well as political interference. On this basis, the study recommends the need for institutional reforms that will help strengthen the enforcement of regulations that guide the siting of fuel retail outlets. There is also the need to decentralize the activities of regulatory agencies to promote sustainable urban development.