This invited seminar shone a light on the people and institutions that create and scrutinise the laws, policies, guidance, and budgets affecting how, where, and when children travel across Scotland.
The session explored the formal and informal roles of politicians, civil servants, parliamentary committees, and other groups - and how best to engage with their work, with examples of both good and challenging practice.
Event Highlights
The seminar attracted an outstanding turnout with participants from over 15 different organisations - spanning universities, local authorities, transport agencies, and policy bodies from across Scotland. The hybrid format enabled both in-person and remote attendees to participate fully, fostering wide-ranging discussion and networking across the SCITNES community.
Invited Speaker
Alan Rehfisch, Senior Researcher, SPICe
Scottish Parliament Information Centre
Key Topics Covered
- How laws and policies affecting children's travel are created and scrutinised
- The role of MSPs, parliamentary committees, and civil servants
- Formal and informal ways to engage with parliament
- What makes a good or bad engagement with politicians
- Budget processes and their effect on school travel policy
Discussion Themes
- Understanding the parliamentary calendar and transport policy cycles
- Targeting the right decision-makers at the right moment
- Building credibility through evidence-based engagement
- Collaborative advocacy across the SCITNES research network
- Practical next steps for policy engagement on school travel
Seminar Series
The SCITNES Seminar Series delivers expert-led sessions on Intelligent Transport Systems, Active Travel, and Policy. Sessions are held in-person at Edinburgh Napier University with hybrid attendance via Microsoft Teams, making them accessible to participants across Scotland and beyond.
Registration & Enquiries
For more information or to find out about future events, please contact:
Professor Adrian Davies
A.Davis@napier.ac.uk
Edinburgh Napier University