The Independent Transport Commission, abbreviated to ITC, is a research

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

and

think tank A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...

based in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, devoted to exploring issues in the fields of transport, planning and land use. It is politically neutral, and has established a reputation as a nationally respected independent voice on transport and planning policy. It played a key role shaping policy in the 2000s (decade) with the publication of a series of authoritative and groundbreaking reports on road pricing, suburban planning, long-distance travel, and the future of transport. The ITC increased its influence to policymakers since 2010 with a series of reports on UK aviation, freight and logistics, paying for roads, and the spatial effects of

High-Speed Rail High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail transport network utilising trains that run significantly faster than those of traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated railway track, tracks. While there is ...

. The commission delivers its work by publishing reports and policy papers, hosting special lectures and discussion evenings, and meeting with senior officials. The current director is Dr Matthew Niblett, and the chairman of trustees is Terry Hill CBE, also chairman of the Ove Arup Foundation.

History

Foundation

Following the publication in 1998 of the Labour government's transport white paper entitled ' A New Deal for Transport: Better for everyone', a suggestion was made to

Bernard Jenkin Sir Bernard Christison Jenkin (born 9 April 1959) is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Harwich and North Essex, previously Colchester North then North Essex, since 1992. He also served as ...

MP, the then

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

Shadow Transport Secretary, that he would benefit from the services of a 'think tank'. In the event, putting together a think tank to serve the Shadow Secretary of State proved impractical. Many of those approached liked the idea but did not want to serve a political party. This impasse was resolved when, thanks to Professor Mike McDonald, the infant ITC was offered a home by Professor Sir Howard Newby, vice-chancellor of the

University of Southampton The University of Southampton (abbreviated as ''Soton'' in post-nominal letters) is a public university, public research university in Southampton, England. Southampton is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universit ...

. The 'Independent Transport Commission', as it was then christened, was formally launched at the

Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, commonly known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), is a learned society that champions innovation and progress across a multitude of sectors by fostering creativity, s ...

in October 1999 with a commitment to be politically independent and to focus on evidence-based research.

The New Labour era

In 2000 the commission invited Sir Patrick Brown, former

permanent secretary A permanent secretary is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day activities. Permanent secretaries are ...

to the

Department for Transport The Department for Transport (DfT) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport ...

, to be its chairman. Sir Patrick led the commission through several major projects, encouraging greater boldness in Labour's transport policy, and leading debate on a number of issues. He was succeeded by Dr David Quarmby CBE, who steered the commission through the development of a new Long Distance Travel forecasting model, the first of its kind. In 2009 Quarmby left to lead the

RAC Foundation The RAC Foundation (Royal Automobile Club Foundation for Motoring) is a British pro-motoring think tank and registered charity. History The RAC Foundation was established as the research arm of RAC Motoring Services Ltd in 1991, when Motoring ...

and was succeeded by Simon Linnett, executive vice chairman of Rothschild.

The Coalition and Conservative era

The election of the

led

coalition A coalition is formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political, military, or economic spaces. Formation According to ''A G ...

in 2010 led to fresh opportunities after the spending cuts saw the demise of the government's own transport quango, the Commission for Integrated Transport, leaving the ITC as the main think tank in the field. The ITC's own work on Transport Appraisal and Spending was later submitted to the Transport Select Committee for discussion. With the increased prominence and research output of the ITC Dr Matthew Niblett was appointed as its first director. In 2016 Simon Linnett retired as chairman and was succeeded by Terry Hill CBE.

Patrons and commissioners

Patrons

Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis Andrew Adonis, Baron Adonis, (born Andreas Adonis; 22 February 1963) is a British Labour Party politician and journalist who served in HM Government for five years in the Blair ministry and the Brown ministry. He served as Secretary of Sta ...

Roger Freeman, Baron Freeman Roger Norman Freeman, Baron Freeman, Privy Council (United Kingdom), PC (27 May 1942 – 2 June 2025) was a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party, he served as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in the ...

* Sir Patrick Brown *

Sir Terry Farrell Sir Terence Farrell (born 12 May 1938), is a British architect and urban designer. In 1980, after working for 15 years in partnership with Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, Farrell founded his own firm, Farrells. He established his reputation w ...

* Sir Peter Hendy

Commission members

Terry Hill (chairman), chairman, Ove Arup Foundation; Bridget Rosewell, commissioner, National Infrastructure Commission; Deborah Saunt, director, DSDHA; Kristine Beuret, director, Social Research Associates; Mary Bonar, partner, First Class Partnerships; John Dawson, chairman, International Road Assessment Programme; Nicholas Finney, consultant, UK Port Advisors; Dr Peter Headicar, reader in transport planning,

Oxford Brookes University Oxford Brookes University (OBU; formerly known as Oxford Polytechnic) is a public university, public university in Oxford, England. It is a new university, having received university status through the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Th ...

; Dr Stephen Hickey, chairman, Community Transport Association; Professor Peter Jones, Centre for Transport Studies,

University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...

; Sarah Kendall, independent consultant; Roger Madelin, head of Canada Water Development,

British Land The British Land Company Public Limited Company is one of the largest property development and investment companies in the United Kingdom. The firm became a real estate investment trust when REITs were introduced in the UK in January 2007. It ...

;

Steven Norris Steven John Norris (born 24 May 1945) is a British Conservative Party politician and businessman. Norris served as Member of Parliament for Oxford East from 1983 to 1987. After narrowly losing that marginal seat in 1987 he re-entered the Ho ...

, chairman, National Infrastructure Planning Association; John Worthington, co-founder, DEGW, and director of The Academy of Urbanism

Staff

* Dr Matthew Niblett, director * Bright Pryde-Saha, deputy director * Lucy Kilborn, events

Activities

'Forward Thinking' Discussion Evenings

The Independent Transport Commission hosts a regular series of Discussion Evenings at the Alan Baxter Gallery in Farringdon. The commission uses these to develop new policy thinking, and guest speakers at previous events have included Sir David King, Professor

Stephen Glaister Stephen Glaister (born 21 June 1946) is Emeritus Professor of Transport and Infrastructure at the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Imperial College London, where he was also director of the Railway Technology Strategy Centre. He ...

, Professor Tony Travers and Andrew Haines. Topics explored include: the sharing economy, technology in travel, devolution, education and skills, health and transport, and children and travel.

Annual Lecture

In 2013 the ITC held the first in a new series of Annual Lectures, exploring the future of transport and travel. These lectures are now a staple in the ITC calendar, and have previously explored the themes of fusion and its feasibility for the future of transport (2013); the fundamental motivations that drive human movement (2014); cities and our transport infrastructure (2015); and how technological advancements will change the way we travel (2016).

Influence

Current Projects

Road and Rail Travel Trends – This study has been exploring the factors that have been underpinning shifting trends in our travel patterns. The research has involved an attitudinal study as well as mining data from the commercial sector for details of behavioural change, alongside the publication of a number of key reports (see reports list below). This project has been working closely with the

, advising them on updating their forecasting models. Spatial Effects of High-Speed Rail – The ITC's study on the Spatial Effects of High Speed Rail in Britain has had a major impact on the national debate, contributing to a more thorough understanding of the wider benefits that will be afforded by the delivery of

HS2 High Speed 2 (HS2) is a high-speed railway which has been under construction in England since 2019. The line's planned route is between Handsacre – in southern Staffordshire – and London, with a branch to Birmingham. HS2 is to be Britain ...

. Since the project's inception in Autumn 2012, the ITC has worked closely with city-regions and government departments to move the discussion on

from an engineering/railway project to that of a regeneration project. This was achieved through an ambitious programme of workshops, expert panels, symposia, European and UK study visits, and the publication of a series of detailed reports at high-profile launch events. Aviation Strategy – The ITC's research on aviation strategy has been complementing that of the

Airports Commission The Airports Commission was an independent commission established in September 2012 by the Government of the United Kingdom to consider how the UK could "maintain its status as an international hub for aviation and immediate actions to improve ...

by investigating the UK's long-term aviation needs, and the economic and behavioural implications of following different options. The work has been featured heavily in national news outlets such as the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

and the

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

. Freight and Logistics – This ITC work stream is exploring a number of important challenges, including whether improved intermodal freight operations can provide economic, environmental, and logistical benefits for the UK, as well as how to solve capacity problems and developing more efficient usage of freight networks. Stemming from issues about the collection and use of freight data and statistics raised in its inaugural project report, the ITC has been exploring this issue closely with policy makers and statisticians at the

with a view to helping improve the quality of freight data, thereby measuring more accurately the importance of the sector to the

UK economy The United Kingdom has a highly developed social market economy. From 2017 to 2025 it has been the sixth-largest national economy in the world measured by nominal gross domestic product (GDP), tenth-largest by purchasing power parity (PPP), a ...

as well as opportunities for efficiency improvements.

Previous Projects/Studies

Tomorrow's Transport – In response to the Labour Government's

Transport Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

10 Year Plan the ITC released in 2001 a report on 'Tomorrow's Transport' calling for bolder policy initiatives to tackle potential future problems. The report was widely reviewed, particularly the conclusion that traffic would eventually become increasingly unmanageable in suburban and rural areas, and helped shift policy in the direction of 'liveable streets'. Road Pricing – The commission published a series of reports on Road Pricing in the mid-2000s (decade) led by Professor Stephen Glaister. The reports were welcomed by the government as evidence that road pricing could pay for new roads. At the same time the ITC noted that the government would have to be clear where the extra money would be spent, and warned that there was a risk of increasing congestion on rural roads. Long Distance Travel – In 2010 the ITC published the results of a three-year project developing a model to forecast long-distance travel demand in Britain. The study indicated that economic growth remained the single biggest factor affecting long-distance travel demand in Britain, and noted that in the absence of major policy measures the demand for air travel would accelerate. The findings have recently been seized by the opposition to

High Speed 2 High Speed 2 (HS2) is a high-speed railway which has been under construction in England since 2019. The line's planned route is between Handsacre – in southern Staffordshire – and London, with a Spur line, branch to Birmingham. HS2 is to ...

to show that passenger growth arising from High Speed Rail could be limited. Suburbs – The commission asked Professor Marcial Echenique of the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

to report on the future of British

Suburbs A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

and

Exurbs An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing-density, and relatively hi ...

. Echenique's report warned that current policies would encourage suburban expansion, increasing both commuting times and carbon emissions, forcing a rethink of government policy. Land Use Effects of the 10 Year Plan – Fearing that transport and land use policy had become increasingly disconnected, in 2002 the ITC commissioned Sir Peter Hall to investigate the land use effects of the Government's 10 Year Plan. Hall's conclusions that the Plan would encourage urban sprawl and threaten regeneration was credited with encouraging a re-orientation of policy towards more brownfield development.ITC warns that transport plans 'threaten' urban regeneration

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

, 14 October 2002

Footnotes

External links

The Independent Transport Commission
. {{Authority control Think tanks based in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1999 1999 establishments in the United Kingdom Transport in the United Kingdom