The Commission for Integrated Transport (CfIT) engaged Atkins Transport Planning in early 2005 to produce guidance designed to assist the successful implementation of Affordable Mass Transit (AMT) systems in the UK. The need for such guidance has arisen primarily due to the recognition that improved delivery of such systems is required in order to achieve UK Government objectives for urban transport. Thus this study had been commissioned to produce a Guidance Handbook in order to: guide the promotion and development of such systems; ensure the adoption of 'best practice' in order to achieve the selection of the most appropriate AMT option; and ensure that the performance of the chosen option is maximised through integration with, and support by, transport and other related policies and interventions. The draft Guidance Handbook is due to be produced in May 2005 and this paper will describe: the need for such a handbook, including a review of current transport policy in the UK and the current state of development of AMT systems in the UK; a brief comparison of AMT experience in the UK and internationally; the pre-existing guidance relevant to AMT systems in the UK; the philosophy adopted for the production of the guidance. This will consider the features required to make the guidance useable by those authorities likely to be responsible for promotion of AMT, including those operating at both the technical and non-technical levels; the tasks undertaken in order to produce the guidance handbook, including a summary of the literature and data review; the overall structure of the guidance and the linkages with existing guidance; key features of the guidance, including highlighting additions to and differences from pre-existing guidance; and how the guidance will be used and the anticipated benefits arising from the application of the new guidance. For the covering abstract please see ITRD E135207.
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