The Profession
Transport is a vital part of our lives, yet we tend to take it for granted until it fails to work properly.
All cities have to deal with the problems of traffic congestion. It is an international problem that has never been experienced to the same degree before. The demand for intercity travel is increasing with economic prosperity. Things are changing so fast that transport provision simply cannot keep up. There is also clear evidence that the provision of adequate transport systems could significantly affect quality of life.
Transport systems today affect the way we live and the transport systems of tomorrow will change the way that we will live. We therefore have a choice between getting it wrong and wasting more of our days stuck in traffic jams or waiting for late buses and trains, or getting it right and travelling how and when we want to.
Transport planning is about preparing, assessing and implementing policies, plans and projects to improve and manage our transport systems. There is a need for transport planning on a local, regional and national level. It can involve understanding the linkages between transport and the future shape of our towns and cities. It is also about changing people's attitudes towards travel to encourage use of alternatives to the private car.
Transport remains high on the political agenda with the London congestion charging introducing an alternative approach to traffic management and the M6 Toll providing a new model of how transport could be funded. While these schemes continue to dominate the national press, issues about speed cameras or local traffic calming fill the letters columns of local newspapers across the land.
The demands of the local population to travel to work, shop and play all add up to a significant challenge that is being met by central government, local government and consultants working in partnership.
