International Transport Forum Awards 2011

Every year, the International Transport Forum Awards honour outstanding achievements in transport, which count among the most distinguished prizes in the transport sector. In 2011 the International Transport Forum Awards are being awarded in three categories: Leadership in Transport Award Press Release     The Leadership in Transport Award has been newly created in 2011 to honour public personae that have demonstrated exceptional vision and leadership, and thereby have made an exceptional impact and lasting contribution to transport - be it through a single, high-profile, high-impact initiative or through a sustained commitment over a long period of time that has resulted in major transport advances. The recipient of the first Leadership in Transport Award is Jaime Lerner, visionary urban planner from Brazil and pioneer of globally successful public transport ideas. The first Leadership in Transport Award will be presented at a gala dinner at the annual summit in Leipzig on Thursday, 26 May. For more information please contact Young Researcher of the Year Award Press Release     The Young Researcher of the Year Award is open to young researchers under 35 years of age who have undertaken their research in an institution, university or consultancy firm located in a member country of the International Transport Forum. The Award aims to highlight the importance of transport research for sound transport policy formulation and implementation and to foster closer links between transport policy and research. The Award carries a prize of 5000 Euros. For the 2011 Young Researcher of the Year Award, the International Transport Forum has received 40 entries representing 22 nationalities and research institutions from 16 countries.

The 2011 Young Researcher Award winner is: Dr. Jonn Axsen, from University of California at Davis, USA for his paper with Kennet Kurani on "Interpersonal influence within car buyers' social networks: Developing pre-societal values through sustainable mobility policy"

Jonn Axsen was born in Canada in September 1981 and completed his Ph.D. in Transportation Technology and Policy at the University of California, Davis in 2010. He researches the nexus between transportation technology, human behaviour and societal policy. He employs a variety of methodologies, including consumer surveys and interviews, as well as transportation and energy-economy models. Jonn is currently a post-doctoral fellow at UC Davis, and will begin a faculty position at Simon Fraser University in Canada this August. The Jury appreciation on Jonn Axsen's paper is that it includes additional criteria to justify decisions with regard to mobility; analyses further key influences and that it has a very good, holistic, interdisciplinary approach. The main theme of the 2011 Summit being "Transport for Society", Jonn Axsen's paper but people and their social interactions in the focus of decisions regarding mobility.

Transport Achievement Award Press Release

The Transport Achievement Award 2011 honours transport achievements that have "put people first" through demonstrated excellence in identifying and efficiently meeting the transport needs of their clients. It is awarded by the International Transport Forum and the European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services (CLECAT), the International Federation of Freight Forwarding Associations (FIATA) and the International Association of Public Transport (UITP). The winner is:

Arriva Skandinavien, Denmark "Better Bus Ride" "Better Bus Ride" improves the transport experience for both clients and personnel in ingenuous ways: Staff talks to clients at the bus stop to learn about their needs and wishes; a specially organised flash mob celebrates the birthday of bus driver Mukhtar Adow Mohamed. Whether talking with clients to adjust schedules and capacity or providing 'on bus' IT communication services, whether through driver education or improving social cohesion in the mechanical service areas, "Better Bus Ride" tries to see transport not as a manufactured product, but as a service that provides a transport experience.

Special Mentions

DHL Global Forwarding, Germany Green Road to Rail To meet the needs of one particular client, Bosch-Siemens Electrical Appliances, DHL Global Forwarding built a new rail terminal that connected their customers with the rail system. Beyond this highly client-focused initiative, the project pursues admirable objectives such as enabling intermodality, improving environmental footprint by shifting feeder transports from road to rail and providing sustainability through a long-term and reliable track-based transport solution which can also be sued by other customers. Istanbul Electricity, Tram and Tunnel (IETT), Turkey Connecting Asia and Europe In a survey, Istanbul's citizens identified congestion as the number one problem in their city. 23% of residents of Istanbul were spending more than three hours in traffic per day. The objective of the Istanbul Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system is to provide fast, reliable, high quality, sustainable transport services on a 43 km corridor linking Asia to Europe. It is used by 600,000 travellers each day and provides an average time saving of 109 minutes per day for those travelling the length of the European route. The first phase of the corridor opened in 2007. At the time 67% of riders stated they were "satisfied", another 26% were "absolutely satisfied". Since 2009 the BRT crosses the Bosporus Bridge, which is a major bottleneck, saving travellers about half an hour travel time per direction during peak hours. The winners of the Transport Achievement Award 2011 will be honoured at a ceremony at the annual summit in Leipzig on Thursday, 26 May. For more information, please contact