The Transport Planning Professional (TPP) qualification has been developed by the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) and the Transport Planning Society (TPS). The new qualification, officially endorsed by the Department for Transport, the Highways Agency, Transport for London, Transport Scotland, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Roads Service Northern Ireland, is based on the National Occupational Standards for Transport Planning developed by GoSkills and TPS.

The qualification has been designed to provide professional recognition for transport planners, in the same way that Chartered Engineer recognises the highest level of engineering competence. The TPP qualification enhances the standing of transport planning as a career and acknowledges transport planners as respected professionals, whilst encouraging the development of the skills needed to tackle the major challenges facing the transport sector in the future.

The qualification is managed by the TPP Professional Standards Committee, a joint CIHT and TPS body, and is administered by CIHT on behalf of both organisations.

Candidates for the TPP qualification need to demonstrate an appreciation of a broad range of transport planning procedures and techniques, and a competence to work in some of these.

Candidates must be full members of either CIHT or TPS. Candidates who are TPS members need to apply to TPS for Designated membership of the Society at the same time as submitting their application for a TPP Professional Review.

Candidates are likely to need at least five years’ experience in transport planning and to have been engaged on a variety of transport planning projects to demonstrate the breadth and depth of competence required to gain the qualification.

There are several routes to gaining the qualification. If candidates do not have relevant academic qualifications, they are able to submit evidence that they have the underpinning knowledge required of a professional transport planner.