Introduction

Governance is about fair play and value for money – how to ensure that the people entrusted with power through government and private sector appointments apply that power wisely and for the benefit of all.  Transport plays a crucial role in enabling every society to function.  Moving food to markets, transporting goods from factories, providing access to healthcare and education, all depend on transport.  Is the transport system in your village or town as good as it should be?

In March and April this year, the gTKP “governance in transport” workstream facilitated roundtable discussions in Asia, at the Asian Development Bank in Manila, in Washington at The World Bank, and in Africa at the International Seminar on Sustainable Road Finance and Investment in Arusha, Tanzania.Key recommendations from these discussions were to organise an event to discuss how civil society can be mobilised to improve governance; looking at methods of capturing and exchanging case study experience; the possibility of producing a book about road infrastructure for non-technical readers; gathering benchmark data about road sector performance in different countries; and developing a community of “knowledge champions” in each country to assist in gathering and disseminating knowledge.

Many people have expressed interest in this initiative.  It is this “community” of interested people that will make gTKP work.  We need constructive ideas from everyone who is prepared to contribute – how can we make a difference in improving governance in transport?  What information would you like to see on this website?  Do you know of any case studies of good governance that we can document and publicise through gTKP? All ideas and suggestions are welcome and we look forward to receiving them.