After seven years, the HVT Applied Research Programme has come to a close leaving a legacy of an extensive repository of new research supporting the development of transport in LMICs that is greener, safer and more accessible, affordable and inclusive.
A compendium has been published highlighting the 188 research reports and policy documents from more than 100 projects that together form the HVT body of research across themes including climate change, data, inclusion, informal transport, active mobility, infrastructure and access, road safety, crisis response, policy change and capacity building.
Inception
The inception of the HVT Applied Research programme back in 2015 came with the emergence of the role of transport in sustainable development, and most multilateral development banks (MDBs) switching their focus to sustainable transport that is accessible, efficient, safe and green. This focus was also reflected in the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015 and a new sense of global commitment to addressing climate change.
For LMICs, the era was also marked by rapid urbanisation and huge population growth. It was clear that sustainable transport would make or break the future economies of these countries and be the driver to improve the quality of life for people across Africa and South Asia. But the evidence base to inform this development was out of date, patchy and not recognising the specific conditions of LMICs.
HVT was therefore created by the UK government, then the Department for International Development (DFID) and now the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), to undertake research into the complex and interrelated issues of sustainable urban transport development across Africa and South Asia.
DFID had also commissioned the ReCAP programme to finance further rural access research until 2020, so HVT could focus on high-volume transport. During this time, FCDO has also supported improved data and evidence for transport decision makers through the World Bank’s ieConnect programme, and through research on safer road design and management through the World Bank’s Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF).
Over the past seven years, FCDO has invested a total of £18 million in HVT.
Implementation
This was a two-part programme. Part one involved a review of the literature and evidence available, identifying gaps in research and delivering a series of state-of-knowledge papers on four main themes of long distance strategic road and rail transport; urban transport; low carbon transport; and gender, vulnerable groups and inclusion.
Research in part two of the programme covered topics identified during the State of Knowledge and scoping efforts, and were identified through open calls, direct procurement against a defined scope and through collaboration with partners.
Throughout the duration of the programme, more than 100 projects have been funded and covered topics such as resilient pavement design, decision support systems, informal transport, transit-oriented development, inclusion and urban planning. We have also funded research to support aspects of the global sustainable transport agenda, focused on mechanisms for improving transport data and tracking initiatives, supporting nationally determined contributions and climate finance.
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought transport to a halt in March 2020, HVT created a knowledge piece to take stock of activities and responses by the transport community with some initial guidance towards needed activities and support in the context of transport in LMICs. The publication became the go to piece identifying niches for action and guidance for institutions on investments. Shortly after, the programme’s call for collective action resulted in 20 research projects that not only had a significant influence on various international organisations on maintaining and adapting transport systems during the pandemic but also informed planning for future pandemic-like events.
Innovation has been an important part of our approach, and we have funded two T-TRIID innovation funds supporting individuals and organisations to identify and share innovative concepts and solutions to the challenges facing the transport sector in LMICs.
Throughout the programme, we have acted as a convening and facilitating power within the sector, with the aim of not only disseminating knowledge but to encourage engagement and future collaborations.
Legacy
At the centre of the legacy of the programme is the repository of new research supporting the development of sustainable transport in LMICs.
But the legacy also goes beyond the repository of evidence, it is the ripple started by the research that builds the capacity of researchers, decision makers and practitioners. It is the attention to our core aim to not only talk a good game but to produce research that shows how to actually implement sustainable transport measures.
HVT’s legacy is in its convening power, to bring people and ideas together, and the agility to fill the gaps in research that bring connections and launchpads for important future work. It is our hope that the HVT research is just the start for many more journeys towards sustainable transport in LMICs in the years to come.
Thank you
The programme has been made possible thanks to the commitment of hundreds of researchers who have created this body of work, as well as to our many stakeholders in the transport sector who have taken up the research and ensured it becomes part of the transport development narratives, policies and plans in Africa and South Asia.
The High Volume Transport Applied Research Programme (HVT) has been a seven-year, £18 million investment by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) delivered through a Programme Management Unit led by the international development consultancy DT Global.
Transport-links.com will continue to host the HVT and other transport related research, and any queries about the programme can be sent to DTGlobalUK@dt-global.com