Over 950 Registrations from 27 Countries as TTC2026 Brings Global Community Together to Rethink the Future of Transport
Transformative Transport Conference 2026 strengthens its position as an international platform for advancing more inclusive, sustainable and human-centred transport, as plans for TTC2027 are confirmed.
13 August 2026
The Transformative Transport Conference 2026 (TTC2026) has brought together an international community of researchers, policymakers, practitioners, industry professionals and emerging scholars to explore how transport can be reimagined as a service that improves people's lives.
Convened by TRATSEDI, TTC2026 took place on 12–13 August 2026 through a two-day hybrid format combining face-to-face engagement with a large-scale international online conference.
More than 950 people from 27 countries registered for TTC2026, demonstrating growing international interest in conversations about transport that extend beyond infrastructure and efficiency to consider accessibility, sustainability, technology, dignity, user experience and wellbeing.
The conference was organised around the theme “Reimagining Transport as a Service for Inclusive, Sustainable Futures.”
Across four keynote presentations, six thematic tracks and a panel discussion, TTC2026 created opportunities for participants from different countries, disciplines and sectors to exchange research, experiences and practical perspectives on contemporary and emerging transport challenges.
Four Keynotes, Four Perspectives on Transformative Transport
The international and interdisciplinary character of TTC2026 was reflected in its four keynote speakers, whose contributions examined transformative transport from perspectives spanning technology, human behaviour, global platforms and transport justice.
Dr Samuelson Appau, Associate Professor of Marketing at Melbourne Business School, Australia, delivered “When Global Transport Platforms Meet Local Realities,” focusing on Uber in Ghana; he examined what happens when transport innovations designed in one context enter another, and how digital mobility platforms interact with infrastructure, regulation and established transport practices.
Pete Dyson, co-author of Transport For Humans and PhD researcher at the University of Bath, United Kingdom, challenged participants to put human behaviour and experience at the centre of transport decision-making in his keynote, “Transport For Humans: Are We Nearly There Yet?”
Dr Gail Jennings, Transport and Mobility Consultant at the Centre for Mobility, Access and Public Space (MAPS), South Africa, discussed how South African transport policy discourse has grappled with understanding justice, redress, and rights, and how these concepts provide a structured, practical way of transport planning rather than only a theoretical one.
Folarin Olulana, Co-Founder of T40 Technologies, Nigeria, engaged in a panel discussion with Dr Emmanuel Mogaji, exploring “Transforming Transport Through Transformative Service Technologies,” drawing on the digitisation of intercity mobility to demonstrate how technology can improve passenger experiences and modernise transport services.
Together, the four keynotes reinforced a central proposition of TTC2026: transforming transport requires more than new infrastructure and technologies. It requires understanding people, places, inequalities and the different contexts in which mobility takes place.
Putting People at the Centre of Transport
A central message emerging from TTC2026 was the need to look beyond traditional measures of transport performance and consider how mobility systems affect people's everyday experiences and opportunities.
Discussions explored issues including inclusive mobility, accessibility and disability, sustainable transport, technology and digitalisation, electrification, informal mobility, public transport, service innovation and the wider social consequences of transport systems.
Dr Sudhanshu Bhatt of Sanjivani University, India, Conference Chair of TTC2026, said:
“TTC2026 convened an international community of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to rethink transport beyond infrastructure and efficiency. As Conference Chair, I was struck by our shared belief that mobility should be designed around people.
Discussions on sustainability, technology, accessibility, and invisible disabilities highlighted that while transport can create opportunity, poor design can also reinforce exclusion.
The conference raised a critical question: not just how efficiently we move people, but who is able to move, who is left behind, and why. Transformative transport must make mobility safer, more inclusive, and more dignified for all.”
The conference's international reach enabled participants to compare challenges and innovations across different geographical contexts, recognising that while transport systems differ considerably between countries, questions of access, inclusion, sustainability and quality of service cut across national boundaries.
Growing a Global Transformative Transport Community
TTC2026 builds on the continuing development of the Transformative Transport Conference as an annual international platform for connecting research, policy and practice.
Dr Emmanuel Mogaji of Keele University, Conference Secretary of TTC2026, said:
“Over 950 registrations from 27 countries show that there is a growing international community interested in thinking differently about transport. What matters to us is not simply the number of people involved, but the diversity of perspectives that they bring.
TTC provides a space where researchers, practitioners, policymakers and communities can learn from each other and ask difficult questions about the transport systems we are creating. We want to continue building a conference where ideas can move across countries and sectors and ultimately contribute to better transport experiences.”
He added:
“Our ambition is for TTC to remain accessible while growing its international partnerships. The hybrid format allows us to combine meaningful face-to-face engagement with the reach of an online conference that people can join regardless of where they are located.”
For TRATSEDI, the conference also represents an opportunity to develop relationships and collaborations that extend beyond the annual event.
Olawale Olalekan of TRATSEDI said:
“TTC is about building a community around a shared ambition for better transport. The conference brings people together, but the real opportunity is what happens afterwards — new collaborations, research partnerships, knowledge exchange and practical initiatives.
We are keen to work with universities, transport organisations, businesses, public bodies, professional organisations and communities that share our commitment to sustainability, inclusivity and responsible uses of technology in transport.”
TTC2027 Confirmed for 11–12 August 2027
Following the international response to TTC2026, TRATSEDI has confirmed that the Transformative Transport Conference will return on 11–12 August 2027.
TTC2027 will retain the conference's hybrid two-day approach:
Wednesday, 11 August 2027 — Face-to-face conference
Thursday, 12 August 2027 — International online conference
Planning for TTC2027 will build on lessons and feedback from the 2026 conference while maintaining the conference's commitment to international participation and accessibility.
TRATSEDI is inviting collaboration, partnership and hosting enquiries for TTC2027.
Universities, research institutions, transport organisations, public authorities, businesses, professional bodies and other organisations internationally are invited to explore opportunities to collaborate with TTC and potentially host the face-to-face component of TTC2027.
Expressions of interest and collaboration enquiries can be sent to ttc@tratsedi.com.
Details of TTC2027, including calls for contributions, participation opportunities and programme information, will be announced in due course.
About TRATSEDI
TRATSEDI is an international research and engagement platform advancing transformative transport services through three interconnected priorities: Sustainability, Inclusivity and Technology.
TRATSEDI brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, industry stakeholders and communities to generate research, facilitate knowledge exchange and support practical initiatives aimed at creating transport systems and services that better respond to people's needs.
The Transformative Transport Conference (TTC) is TRATSEDI's annual international conference and provides an accessible platform for sharing research, developing collaborations and connecting perspectives from different countries and sectors.
Notes to Editors
Conference: Transformative Transport Conference 2026 (TTC2026)
Dates: 12–13 August 2026
Format: Hybrid — face-to-face and online
Registrations: More than 950
Countries represented: 27
Theme:Reimagining Transport as a Service for Inclusive, Sustainable Futures
Convened by: TRATSEDI
TTC2027
Wednesday, 11 August 2027: Face-to-face
Thursday, 12 August 2027: Online
Collaboration, partnership and hosting enquiries:
ttc@tratsedi.com
Media Enquiries
Derrick Atkinson
Media Contact
Tel: +44 7776 877923
Email:ttc@tratsedi.com
