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Policy Panel

An ideas-led forum bringing members together to shape thinking, influence policy and improve transport planning practice.

Policy Panel

The TPS Policy Panel is an ideas-led forum within the Transport Planning Society, bringing members together to shape thinking, influence policy and improve transport planning practice.

Established in November 2024, the Panel supports TPS in being proactive and outward-facing — helping to shape the transport agenda at national, regional and local levels, while championing the profession and those who work within it.

Former TPS Chair Mark Frost, serves as the Policy Director for the Society and co-ordinates and oversees the work of the Panel. 

What the Policy Panel does

The Policy Panel provides rapid insight on key and emerging issues in transport planning. It helps TPS to:

  • Inform responses to consultations and calls for evidence
  • Engage with influential bodies such as the Department for Transport and the devolved administrations
  • Identify where policy or practice needs to change
  • Develop ideas and positions grounded in real-world experience

How the Policy Panel works

The Panel meets quarterly and works through five themed sub-groups.

Governance, Appraisal, Business Case & Modelling Policy Panel How schemes are governed, appraised and made the case for. Panel page › Development & Land Use Planning Policy Group (DLUP) Where transport policy, placemaking and delivery meet. Panel page › Influencing Travel Behaviour Policy Panel The relationship between transport planning and travel behaviour. Panel page › Buses, Trains and Freight Policy Panel Integrated, efficient and sustainable public transport and freight systems. Panel page › Active Travel and Micro-mobility Policy Panel Walking, wheeling, cycling and micro-mobility as part of the wider transport system. Panel page › Get involved in transport policy Find out how you can get involved in transport policy. Page › Archive Policy Explore archived transport policy information and resources. Page ›

Sub-groups explore issues in depth, share insight and feed into wider Panel discussions. Each year, the Panel also identifies at least one priority topic where it wants to see improvement in policy or practice, developing this into a thought piece, position statement or other output.

Who’s involved

The Policy Panel brings together over 40 TPS members, drawing on a wide range of experience from across the transport planning profession. This breadth enables informed debate, challenge and timely collective responses to emerging issues.

Get involved

Help shape the future of transport policy and practice.

The TPS Policy Panel is an open, ideas-led forum and we welcome members who want to contribute insight, share expertise and influence change. There are different ways to get involved, depending on your interests, experience and availability.

From time to time, we invite members to step into specific roles to support the Panel’s work. These may include:

  • Joining one of the themed sub-groups
  • Supporting the development of thought pieces, position statements or consultation responses
  • Taking on leadership or coordination roles within the Panel or sub-groups
  • Contributing to short-term pieces of work on priority policy topics

Current opportunities will be highlighted here, with information on what’s involved and how to express interest.

Ready to get involved? Contact us to register your interest or find out how you can contribute.
Get involved