CODATU attended the 15th WCTR Conference in Mumbai! – 26 to 31 May 2019

The triennial conference organised by the World Conference on Transport Research Society was held in Mumbai, in India. These conferences aim at gathering all the different research trends dealing with transport worldwide, according to a multidisciplinary and international scope.

A multidisciplinary and international conference

Among the thousand of attendees, transport was represented among all its various aspects, from air transport to freight and logistics, as well as non-motorised transport and immobility, and according to different theoretical and methodological approaches. It was noteworthy to consider the numerous communications and research projects based on simulation and modelisation, which gives a good indication of the increasing availability of data on transport and mobility – also in developing countries. Social and political approaches were also represented, whereas gender and road safety issues, especially in developing countries, appeared to be shared by many disciplines and research institutions, no matter their geographic location.

The link between CODATU and WCTRS : the H5 SIG

Beyond the opportunity to acknowledge the diversity of the current research, the presence of CODATU at WCTR also manifested through the participation to the sessions organised by the H5 SIG « urban transport in developing countries » in the name of CODATU. This SIG (one of the oldest), animated both by CODATU and the WCTRS, organised special sessions and more than 70 papers were presented this year in this context, making it a proper « conference within the conference ». Members of the SIG (the participation is open) could also attend a special meeting and discuss about the common activities that will take place until the next WCTR Conference in 2022 in Montreal (the name of the host city was announced during the closing ceremony). The discussions also concerned the CODATU Conference that will take place in 2020 in Dakar, and which already gather the interest of many stakeholders.

Global cities in the South : a relevant context to consider urban transport issues…

Eventually, the choice of Mumbai to welcome the conference gave a stimulating opportunity to consider the challenges inherent to transport and mobility issues in the context of global cities. From massive trafic jams to the construction of a new subway, the possibility to use the global app Uber or the local rickshaws, attendees could giver a broader perspective and experience empirically, and on a daily basis, the discussions held during the conference.

We have no doubt that the city of Dakar will be a fruitful place to continue these discussions…

A crossroad near the Conference site (source: S.Baffi, CODATU).

Banner: the WCTRS president mentions CODATU during the opening address on 27 May (source: S.Baffi, CODATU)