The Faculty of Public Health’s Transport Special Interest Group (SIG) works to promote a vision of a Transport system that functions to improve health and reduce health inequalities.
Our objectives are:
Transport affects health in many ways. Travel is essential to provide access to services, amenities and resources essential to health. Some forms of transport can also provide physical activity and support social interaction. But a car-dominated transport system has adverse effects including pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, injuries, community severance, physical inactivity and creates inequities of gender, disability and transport poverty.
On the basis of current evidence, we support a transport system that prioritises active travel modes and provides comprehensive, affordable, accessible and reliable public transport.
In 2025, the Transport SIG led the FPH response to the Integrated National Transport Strategy - call for evidence. The FPH organisational response emphasised the crucial role of transport in public health. The FPH advocates for a shift away from car dependency towards a system that prioritizes Active Transport, Public Transport, Reducing Car Dependency, and Reducing Aviation. The FPH emphasizes the need for a systems-based approach to transport planning, considering the social, economic, and environmental impacts of all transport decisions. Read the full response here.
In 2024, the Transport SIG led the FPH consultation response to the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling and Walking Active Travel and Social Justice inquiry. The FPH response outlines increased active travel and reduced car dependency as highly effective public health interventions, with benefits to mental and physical health, air quality, productivity, biodiversity and carbon reduction. Read the full response here.
In 2024, the FPH Transport SIG developed a series of policy briefs on:
Read the FPH Transport SIG Policy Briefs here
FPH Transport SIG and THSG endorse the Declaration of the 5th International Conference on Transport and Health (Melbourne, Australia, 2019).
The SIG reports to the Faculty's Climate and Health Committee.
You can contact the chair at: Margaret.douglas3@phs.scot.
FPH members can join this SIG by logging into their FPH members’ portal account, selecting the ‘Committees/SIGs’ button and choosing the correct SIG. You will then be asked to provide a few details, following which your application will be automatically approved. Further details on FPH membership are available here.
The SIG is supported by the Transport and Health Science Group CIO (THSG), an independent registered charity of health and transport professionals and campaigners dedicated to understanding and addressing the links between transport policies and health, and promoting a healthy transport system. It has produced the reference e-book Health on the Move 2, a clear and comprehensive account of what would constitute a healthy transport system. THSG has also recently completed Health on the Move 3, which provides systematic reviews on a range of topics related to transport and health’.
Members of the Transport SIG may participate in THSG activities, but must join THSG itself (membership fee £10) to obtain personal benefits such as conference discounts, discounts on the Journal of Transport & Health, and a licence to use Health on the Move 2. Non FPH members are also welcome to join THSG.
Vision and Aims: The vision of the Transport SIG is a Transport system that functions to improve health and reduce health inequalities.
Activity: Produce Health on the Move 3 – a book of rapid reviews of evidence on health and transport
Outcome: Book published, Papers based on book chapters submitted to Journal of Transport and Health
Target date: 2024
Named lead: Jenny Mindell/Steve Watkins
Progress to date: Chapters complete and sent to publishers
Outputs: Book, journal papers
Activity: Review of THSG policy statements
Outcome: FPH statements produced and published
Target date: Sep 2024
Named lead: Steve Watkins
Progress to date: THSG statements being reviewed for discussion at TSIG meeting
Outputs: Statements published
Activity: New policy statements
Outcome: Policy statements drafted based on evidence in HOTM3 chapters
Target date: TBC
Named lead: Relevant chapter authors TBC
Progress to date: TBC
Outputs: Policy statements published
Activity: Transport poverty webinar
Outcome: Raised awareness of transport poverty, greater links between health and transport colleagues.
Target date: June 2024
Named lead: Margaret Douglas, Ruth Gelletlie, Gwyn Williams, Cat Pinho-Gomes, Paul Roderick
Progress to date: Initial meeting held
Outputs: Webinar delivered
Activity: Share relevant information, evidence and events with TSIG members
Outcome: Mutual learning
Target date: Ongoing
Named lead: Margaret Douglas
Progress to date: Quarterly meetings held and email circulations
Outputs: Email communications/ meetings
Transport poverty is an important issue for health and health inequalities. This webinar discussed what transport poverty is and why it matters for health, and stimulated thinking about how participants might help reduce these impacts.
FPH is the professional home for public health in the UK and abroad. We support over 5,000 members across all career stages enabling them to drive the profession forward and achieve our vision of improving public health.
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