Buchan makes the case for evidence-based policy-making

Public confidence in experts has fallen in many walks of life in recent months. But transport consultant and Transport Planning Society director of skills Keith Buchan insists that good evidence and effective public engagement are the two critical components for effective transport decision-making.

Geoff Dudley

06 January 2017

In recent times, the role of the expert in transport decision-making has been questioned to such an extent that the basic value of such functions as modelling, appraisal, and economic analysis and forecasting have been fundamentally challenged. This has been particularly evident in such major infrastructure projects as High Speed 2, where widespread criticism, often from within the profession itself, has focused on such elements as benefit:cost ratios and assessments of long-term economic and...