There is a commonly cited statistic that says it took a century to get the first billion vehicles on the road and now – just before the end of the second decade of the following century – it is going to reach two billion vehicles. Professor Simpson looked to see what those future projections might do to carbon emissions in south Asia and Africa.

"It is often said that a quarter of current carbon emissions come from transport, with cars being the single biggest emitter. But with that rate of growth (in population) what happens to that percentage of carbon emissions only really looks set to increase in a way that I found nobody had really calculated," says Professor Simpson, a director of the South Asia Institute at University of London's School of Oriental & African Studies.

Professor Simpson was commissioned by the Government's UK Aid programme to explore what insights social science can bring to our understanding of the political and economic barriers to the implementation of low carbon transport in urban south Asia and Africa.

The UK Department for International Development is providing a major contribution to building the evidence base to support increased access to transport services, more affordable trade routes and safer, low carbon transport in low income countries through its High Volume Transport programme. This is a five year research programme and will explore four transport research themes:
 
Theme 1: Long distance strategic road and rail transport
Theme 2: Urban transport
Theme 3: Low carbon transport
Theme 4: Gender, vulnerable groups and inclusion in high volume transport
 
The interview explores the report that Professor Simpson produced, which supports the third theme. It was titled: 'An anthropologist among the transport specialists – Social science insights on the political-economy barriers to the implementation of low-carbon transport in urban South Asia and Africa'.

The interview explores how anthropology offers new perspectives such as understanding behavioural and aspirational factors behind peoples’ demand for mobility. Other elements covered include Bus Rapid Transit systems and how to manage people through displacement when transport infrastructure is put in place.

Professor Simpson concludes that road building is part of a global system. He says: "You realise that a lot of what’s at stake in road building in South Asia is not a local concern at all. It is about a global flow of money."

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