Using behavioural insights for more sustainable transport

Date of the report

2011

Author of the report

The Department for Transport

Purpose of the report

The Department for Transport published a Behavioural Insights Toolkit, providing practical, step-by-step guidance on how to design more effective sustainable transport initiatives using insights from behavioural theory and social research evidence. The toolkit is intended for use by those responsible for developing transport policy and delivery initiatives, including local authorities. The toolkit helps its users to think about key issues such as addressing habit and targeting initiatives to meet the needs of different groups of people, from commuters and business travellers to older, less mobile people. The toolkit also provides:

  • Information on behavioural insights and how they could be used to develop more effective transport policy and delivery.
  • Advice on how to develop policies and initiatives which aim to enable different choices.
  • Guidance to help review existing approaches to see if they could be better delivered using behavioural insights, including ‘Nudges’.
  • Suggestions of approaches which could be used as alternatives to using regulation.

Relevance to the region

Behavioural insights are potentially valuable in enabling government and its delivery partners to achieve their objectives in more efficient and effective ways.

What SWM liked

We liked how the document stresses the importance that government and its partners find ways of achieving policy outcomes in the most efficient way possible, with the inclusion of behavioural theory helping to provide guidance on designing transport policies.

Links and contact information

For further information visit the Department for Transport website.


Downloads

Behavioural insights toolkit

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