Reimagining Motion: Recent Episodes
High Volume Transport Applied Research Programme
Reimagining Motion is our podcast for the High Volume Transport Applied Research Programme (HVT). In our third season we will shine a light on the inequalities across the transport sector and explore how those currently excluded need to not only be the beneficiaries of development, but importantly that they are agents of change driving that development.
Each episode draws on the latest HVT research, case studies and newly developed frameworks offering insights and practical ideas for addressing climate change in the land transport sector.
HVT is funded by the UK's Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. The views expressed do not represent the views of the UK government.
In this episode we speak with Dr Deepty Jain of the the Indian Institute of Technology, about the work being done to assess the impact of heatwaves on women when traveling in India, and potential solutions.
Links
- Gender and income based variability in travel choices in Vishakhapatnam, India
- Hot weather and travel: how best to meet the needs of women in Delhi
- Gendered approach of addressing adaptation capacity to hot conditions
- Narrating Lives/Labour: Documenting Domestic Labour in Kolkata
Learn more at transport-links.com
In this final episode of season 6, we speak with Jamie Leather, Director of the Transport Sector of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). What strategies need to be adopted to decarbonize transport in the region? What role will electric vehicles play in the transition towards sustainable and low carbon transport? How can Asia achieve a just transition in the transport sector? And what approaches to and what approaches to adaptation can be taken to deal with the natural disasters that currently inflict over 30 billion annual losses to the region?
Links:
- Green Roads Toolkit
- Davao Public Transport Modernization Project
Learn more at transport-links.com
Slow moving Two and three-wheeler vehicles (Tri-SMVs) make up as much as 80% of the traffic in Bangladesh, but the roads are largely designed for motorised vehicles with four or more wheels. This creates safety and comfort issues for Tri-SMV drivers and passengers, significantly affecting the mobility of vulnerable groups.
In this episode we speak to Dr Nazmus Sakib of the Islamic University of Technology in Bangladesh about his research into this essential transport modality in both urban and rural areas of Bangladesh. We also discuss the impact of increasing numbers of electric versions of these vehicles, road design, safety as well as the impact of climate change and flooding on the impact of these vehicles.
Links
- Bangladesh cracks down on 3-wheelers in Dhaka over traffic, health concerns
- Move to legalise battery-run three-wheelers stalls
- Road to a Green Bangladesh
- Changing institutional landscape and transportation development in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Learn more at transport-links.com
In the first episode of our sixth series, we talk with Dr. Kalpana Viswanath. She is the Co-founder and CEO of Safetipin, a social enterprise that uses technology and apps to collect data for the safe movement of women in urban spaces and towards gender responsive urban systems.
We talk how harassment, violence and the burden of care impact women's access to transport, work, education and leisure. How technology is used to gather data to create safer transport networks around cities and what needs to be done by local and national governments and international NGOs and donors to better serve all transport users.
Links:
- Ensuring women’s right to the city
- Index shows what makes a city safe for women
- Lessons learnt through gender-based travel data collection and related sexual harassment in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Post-COVID-19 Mobility: Key levers to reform urban transport systems
- Moving Ahead: Urban Mobility Reforms for Post-COVID Resilience in India
- Transit-oriented development: Case studies report
Learn more at transport-links.com
In the final episode of season 5, we speak with road and vehicle safety activist, Michael Wanyama from AutoSafety Uganda. We discuss how the impact of used and unsafe vehicles on the roads in Uganda is often missed from the discussion around road safety and rising fatalities, as well as their contribution to rising emissions. Also Michael talks about his work training local mechanics and improving regulations in the industry.
Links
- Tackling Africa’s road safety and emissions from the source (T-TRIID project)
- Safer and Cleaner Used Vehicles (UNEP)
- Uganda - Active Mobility
- Country Scoping of Research Priorities on Low-Carbon Transport in Uganda
- Decarbonising Transport Award: Supporting ideas that cut transport CO2 in emerging economies
Learn more at transport-links.com
In this episode we speak with Carly Gilbert-Patrick from UNEP about the current state of walking and cycling (often referred to as 'active mobility') across Africa. We touch on the differences and similarities between regions and countries, the impact of motorisation on active mobility infrastructure as well as changing hearts and minds to see pedestrians and cyclists as priorities in transport planning.
Links
- Share the Road Programme - UNEP
- ‘Our walking is our asset’: Exploring the way in which walking is valued in pedestrian practice and policy in African cities
- Learning from COVID-19 pop-up bicycle infrastructure: An investigation into flexible and user-led bicycle planning in Cape Town, Nairobi, and Kampala
- Investing in Walking in African Cities: Moving Beyond Policy
- Infrastructure Toolkit for Non-Motorised User Safety in African Cities: Challenges and Solutions
Learn more at transport-links.com
In this episode of Reimagining Motion, we talk with Simon Saddier, a Senior Urban Transport Specialist at the World Bank and the Africa Transport Policy Programme (SSATP). We look at the challenges of urban transport across Africa, the expansion of BRT, as well as strategies to create dialogues between formal and informal transport sector organisations.
Links
- Africa Transport Policy Programme
- Institutions in Motion: Learning from the Experience of Urban Mobility Organizing Authorities in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Informal Public Transport Routemap & City Comparative Analysis: Final Report
- From complete formalization encompassing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to the corporatization of informal Public Transport owner/operators: Cape Town, South Africa
- The Regulation of buses and minibuses: private sector participation as catalysts to reform in Kigali, Rwanda
- The minibus renewal and professionalization process: a combined approach to modernize paratransit services in Dakar, Senegal
Learn more at transport-links.com
In the first episode of our fifth series of Reimagining Motion we talk with Oluwaseun "Seun" Sonoiki, legal counsel at the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA). We explore the challenges of coordinating and expanding transport in one of Africa's most rapidly urbanising cities.
Links
- Lessons learnt through gender-based travel data collection and related sexual harassment in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tackling Sexual Harassment in sub-Saharan African Transport: Changing Attitudes, Meeting Needs
- SHE-CAN Tool
- EMPOWER: Safer Transport for Women in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Literature Review – EMPOWER – Practical Tools for Decision Makers and Citizens to Tackle Sexual Harassment in African Urban Transport
- Inclusive Interchanges (T-TRIID)
Learn more at transport-links.com
This week we speak with Gail Jennings, a research consultant based in South Africa where we explore the opportunities and the challenges of developing future infrastructures with active mobility (walking and cycling) as a central mode of transport in low- and middle-income countries.
Links
- Learning from COVID-19 pop-up bicycle infrastructure: An investigation into flexible and user-led bicycle planning in Cape Town, Nairobi, and Kampala
- Women Were Put On The Back-End: COVID-19 mobility constraints and their lessons and implications for gender-equity in sub-Saharan Africa
- Fast-tracking public transport priority: Investigating the potential of Tactical Transit Lanes in mitigating the impact of COVID-19 in cities in Sub-Saharan Africa
- ‘Our walking is our asset’: Exploring the way in which walking is valued in pedestrian practice and policy in African cities
Learn more at transport-links.com
In the second episode of season 4, we talk to Professor Clive Roberts of the University of Birmingham about all things rail. Railways have the potential to greatly reduce emissions compared to other land transport modes. We talk about the current state of rail in Africa, the challenges of modernising rail infrastructure, as well as the opportunities for innovation and new technologies such as hydrogen-powered rail.
Links
- Novel traction systems for sustainable railway futures in LICs: Final Report
- Novel traction systems for sustainable railway futures in LICs: Capability Analysis Report
- Novel traction systems for sustainable railway futures in LICs: Architectural Design Report
Learn more at transport-links.com
In this episode of Reimagining Motion, we speak with Andrew Otto of TRL about the latest in road infrastructure research. How to build resilience to natural disasters and climate change into road design, as well as how to get policymakers on board. We also highlight specifically Road Note 31. The latest edition of the seminal guide for road construction in tropical and sub-tropical regions.
Links
- Road Note 31: A Guide to the Structural Design of Surfaced Roads in Tropical and Sub-tropical Regions (online edition)
Learn more at transport-links.com
In this episode we speak with Sonal Shah on inequalities for women, girls and other genders in transport, especially in India. We also look at her research into post COVID challenges in creating gender equitable, public transport systems as well as opportunities to improve transport infrastructure and policies.
Links
- Moving Ahead: Urban Mobility Reforms for Post-COVID Resilience in India
- Post-COVID-19 Mobility: Key levers to reform urban transport systems
- Moving towards gender equitable public transport operations in a post COVID-19 world
Learn more at transport-links.com
In today’s episode we be chat with Bright Oywaya who has been passionately advocating for issues related to road transport and safety and disability since 1997 when she was involved in a road crash, causing disability that resulted in her having to use a wheelchair.
Links
- Road Note (RN21): Enhancing the mobility of people with disabilities. Part 1: Guidelines for Policymakers
- Road Note 21 (RN21): Enhancing the mobility of people with disabilities. Part 2: Guidelines for Practitioners
- Disability, Mobility and Transport in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Thematic Review
- Disability Inclusive Policy Brief
Learn more at transport-links.com
This week we speak with Ann Frye, an international specialist on the transport needs of disabled and older people about the challenges, misconceptions and opportunities for disabled people accessing transport services in low- and middle-income countries.
Links
- Disability Inclusive Policy Brief (Accessible version)
- Road Note (RN21): Enhancing the mobility of people with disabilities. Part 1: Guidelines for Policymakers
- Road Note 21 (RN21): Enhancing the mobility of people with disabilities. Part 2: Guidelines for Practitioners
- The World Bank Technical Note on Accessibility
To kick off season 3, we speak with Dr Fatima Adamu, Executive Director of Nana Girls and Women Empowerment Initiative in Sokoto, Nigeria about the inequalities women and girls face in accessing transport, gender blindness among transport administrators and politicians as well as tools to address sexual harassment in transport.
Links
- SHE CAN tool
- Empower - Literature Review
- Empower - Final Report
In this episode we speak with Maruxa Cadama, the Secretary General of the SLOCAT Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport. We look at the role of equity in the decarbonisation of transport and the role of organisations like SLOCAT in addressing climate resilience in transport. We also discuss Maruxa's impressions from COP27 and the role of these conferences in climate action.
LINKSSLOCAT website
Low Carbon Transport for Urban Sustainability (LᶜO₂TUS)
SLOCAT at COP27
We speak with Romanus Opiyo, programme leader of Sustainable Urbanisation of the Stockholm Environmental Institute about the impact of climate change on transport in low- and middle-income countries and how it is affecting disadvantaged groups the most. We also discuss using participatory approaches to transport design that is inclusive and resilient.
LinksInclusive Climate-Resilient Transport In Africa: Assessment of the needs of transport stakeholders including disadvantaged groups
Using creative participatory approaches for inclusive climate resilient transport in Africa: Guidelines for Practitioners
We speak with Bronwen Thornton, the CEO of Walk21 and former Board Chair of the Partnership for Sustainable Low Carbon Transport (SLOCAT), about the crucial and yet undervalued role that walking plays to create inclusive, greener transport. We ask will the drive towards green transport overshadow the needs of the most vulnerable in society who will face unfair conditions and access to mobility?
LinksInvesting in Walking in African Cities: Moving Beyond Policy
‘Our walking is our asset’: Exploring the way in which walking is valued in pedestrian practice and policy in African cities
We speak with Yacob Mulugetta, from UCL and also Partnership Lead of the Climate Compatible Growth Program (CCG) about the role of e-mobility in a just transition to greener transport systems and the link between future development of LICs and future energy systems. The episode also asks who should financially support LICs in the bid to adapt and mitigate against climate change when their contribution to transport emissions has been historically low compared to the rest of the world.
LinksE-MOBILITY IN LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES IN AFRICA: Finance, Governance, and Equity
In this episode we talk to Timothy Durant of Vectos about the informal public transport sector and its effects on urban development, climate change and affordable mobility.
LinksTRANSITIONS – Informal Transport Compendium Report
High Volume Transport Website
In this episode we speak with Dr Rutul Joshi, Associate professor at CEPT University in India. Dr Joshi led a multi-year research project on contextualising transit-oriented development for Indian cities.
LinksInclusive TOD in Eastern Africa: A Guide to Local Development Planning
Transit-oriented development: Case studies report
Moving Ahead: Urban Mobility Reforms for Post-COVID Resilience in India
Post-COVID-19 Mobility: Key levers to reform urban transport systems
High Volume Transport Website
Dr Rutul Joshi on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram
In this episode we talk to Phillip Krause of African Urban Mobility Observatory about how data is essential to transit-oriented development design and implementation.
He also discusses his HVT work developing new technologies for transport data collection in sub-Saharan Africa.
LinksAfrica Urban Mobility Observatory Policy and Planning Insights Report - HVT Research
Africa Urban Mobility Observatory Role of Informal Paratransit Report: Big Data to Enable Inclusive, Low-Carbon Mobility - HVT Research
GoAscendal website
High Volume Transport Website
In this episode we talk to Jacob Mason of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy about transit-oriented development (TOD) as a mode for development in African cities.
In their latest research for HVT, the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) have developed a guidance toolkit of inclusive TOD as part of local area planning in eastern Africa.
Links:Inclusive TOD in Eastern Africa: A Guide to Local Development Planning - HVT Research from ITDP
Jacob Mason on Twitter
High Volume Transport Website
ITDP website