This paper describes the scope of the research and development work of the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to address the transport problems of non-industrialised and developing countries. Although many of the problems have ready-made solutions, considerable adaptations are needed to apply them to specific countries. The problems need to be solved quickly, before the growth of transport amplifies them and makes their solution more difficult. Lessons from previous experience need to be learned. Institutional and other problems, which are usually the most difficult to solve, also need addressing. The problems' solutions need to contribute to sustainable development. This paper outlines the main themes of TRL's overseas work, with reference to the Review's papers: (1) reducing road accidents and improving road safety; (2) reducing the costs of road infrastructure and vehicle operations; (3) improving the provision of cost-effective transport for the rural and urban poor; (4) increasing the efficiency of national, regional and urban transport systems; (5) promoting environmentally sensitive development of non-renewable natural resources; (6) improving geotechnical hazard avoidance; (7) improving the understanding of engineering materials; (8) geoscience information infrastructure; and (9) improving energy efficiency.
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