Do you have any ideas about what the future of transport in the UK should look like?

Of course you do: you’re a highways and transportation professional!

In addition to having discussions with colleagues in the office, at the pub or at conferences and courses you attend, you can now get in the ears of the House of Commons Transport Select Committee. The committee’s new chair, Iain Stewart MP, wants to hear your proposals for a future inquiry, which the cross-party body could examine in 2023.

The committee is keen to receive proposals from a wide range of experts, researchers, and innovative thinkers, working in areas it may not have considered investigating before.

Proposals should be no longer than 500 words and could include:

• what the future of transport policy might look like
• why the committee should look at this future transport issue
• why the subject would benefit from scrutiny by the committee
• why it's important to look at it now
• why the government needs to take action

The committee will shortlist the best proposals and invite authors to pitch these ideas to the committee, in person at a public session at parliament, Dragons’ Den-style. The winning proposal will be selected, and the committee will launch an inquiry based on the suggestion, taking evidence, questioning ministers, and learning more about what this future aspect of transport might look like.

If you wish to make a submission – the deadline is 12 noon on Monday 6 February 2023 – and there are a few elements to consider before putting your pet transport peeve to parliament.

The first is that you should consider what an existing government policy is, and how or why you think it might be changed or improved in the future. For example, you might want the committee to research any disruptive new ideas that you’ve come across, identify any trends that are about to have an influence on transport, or look at some new technology that we’re about to rely on.

You might also want to consider how what you’re proposing might have an impact on travel and transport within the UK. Bear in mind that committee inquiries usually look at issues that have an impact on the whole country, or areas where such an impact is disproportionate (and why that is the case).

If you want to avoid suggesting a topic that the committee has already considered, you can find a list of past and current inquiries here.

Once you’re ready to send your proposal, make your case, via this online form as to why it is worthy of an elected representative investigation. You will be asked to explain what you think the committee should consider, why it deserves attention, and how government policy in this area could be developed or improved as we prepare for the future.

Before you press ‘Submit’, remember that you can only send one proposal and if the committee receives more than one proposal from an individual or organisation, it will only consider the first one received. And finally, be aware that the committee can’t take up individual cases or complaints and doesn’t look into issues or projects that only affect one local locality or region.

If you decide to submit a proposal, good luck.

You can also submit ideas for the CIHT response by emailing technical@ciht.org.uk by Wednesday 1 February.

Listen back to the CIHT podcast featuring Transport Committee Chair Iain Stewart MP on the launch of the ‘Our Future Transport’ appeal.

(Photo credit: Shutterstock)

Word by Craig Thomas

Submit ideas for the CIHT response by emailing technical@ciht.org.uk by Wednesday 1 February.