Transport Studies

Anyone who has seen their career path take an academic turn and enter into the realms of 'transport studies' may, like me, have enjoyed the sense of rich diversity that lies within. In my own case, life in higher education began with a degree in civil engineering. My early tastes of transport concerned the design of roads and optimisation of traffic signals. A PhD drew me further in - examining motorway driving behaviour using artificial intelligence. As a postdoctoral researcher I found myself in the world of 'Intelligent Transport Systems'. In the intervening years the path I have followed has taken me into human behaviour and choicemaking, attitudes and social practices. The company I keep has expanded to include psychologists, sociologists and geographers alongside engineers and computer scientists.

Transport studies embraces a broad church and this is reflective of how transport as a sector and in terms of its significance to society has evolved. In my own mind I see transport studies in terms of three eras that have emerged and which now co-exist. The first I call creation of the asset - this is the development and maintenance of the transport infrastructure and the vehicles that run upon it. This is very much about engineering, science and technology. The second I refer to as management of the asset.

This concerns getting as much efficiency as possible from the transport system operation - maximising the throughput of vehicles or people, minimising delay, pollution and energy consumption etc. This incorporates mathematical modelling, operational research, computer science, chemistry and physics (to name but a few) into the disciplinary mix. The third I term responsible use of the asset. Here I am referring to two things. Firstly, with burgeoning amounts of (motorised) travel has come congestion and crowding as the transport system capacity struggles to cope - there is a need for demand management.

Secondly, there is a realisation that transport does more than simply serve society - it shapes society as indeed society shapes transport. Accordingly our transport asset should be used in ways that support the sort of society we wish to have. This third era, in terms of passenger transport, requires a greater understanding of the social context of travel and of human behaviour and how to influence this - further additions to the disciplinary mix of transport studies then include cognitive and social psychology, sociology, human geography, urban planning, public health and economics.

It becomes increasingly difficult to define transport studies. At the same time, the importance of transport to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of society seems greater than ever. How do we harness the diversity of the field and bring together the capacity of our academic institutions to provide the insight and knowledge that can guide and support policymakers and practitioners in the pursuit of a sustainable transport system? An organisation that plays a key part in answering this is UTSG - the Universities Transport Study Group.

UTSG was initiated by the late Professor Reuben Smeed of University College London in 1967. It aims to promote transport research and teaching and to act as a focus for those involved in these activities in universities and institutions of higher education in the UK and Ireland. Member institutions are expected to be conducting a substantial amount of postgraduate research in the field of transport. Because such activities are often spread over several departments, each institution appoints a correspondent to disseminate and collate information: in this way over 100 departments are involved in UTSG's activities. Membership of UTSG is free and all positions on its elected executive committee are honorary. In addition to the membership from the UK and Ireland, over 70 academic institutions are represented on its list of overseas correspondents.

While it may be an insurmountable challenge to comprehensively define transport studies, the collective activities of UTSG members are what, at any given point in time, constitute the scope of contemporary transport studies. UTSG creates a binding influence and a sense of unification in what could be a diffuse and fragmented field. One of the key activities of the group is its annual conference which brings together over 100 delegates to exchange news of latest research findings.

This helps create connections between the disciplines within transport studies and also nourishes the strength of the academic network itself. The conference is also a forum to encourage and support younger researchers.

Another important function of UTSG is provide a gateway for those outside academia to be able to access the resources and expertise embodied within the UTSG community. Two online mechanisms support this. The UTSG website provides full contact details for all of the member institutions. It also provides access to a number of annual reports produced by some of the institutions. These reports offer insights into the composition and research coverage of teams working in transport studies. Meanwhile a UTSG email announcements list is open to anyone to join and puts nearly 1,000 academics, practitioners and policymakers in touch with one another - both within the UK and overseas.

Further to this, UTSG aims to ensure major research sponsors and professional institutions are able to engage in dialogue and information exchange with the transport studies community. In recent years professional institutions such as The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the Royal Town Planning Institute have attended the annual conference and the group has also forged links with funding organisations such as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council, the Department for Transport, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government.

The UTSG community also encompasses the provision of taught courses at undergraduate and postgraduate levels as well as courses for continuing professional development that cater for the needs of the profession.

If you have any questions, queries or ideas concerning UTSG then we would be pleased to hear from you. Please direct these in the first instance to Dr Erel Avineri on secretary@utsg.net.