Inside the Playbook- How Transport Policy Really Works | HC E11 | Russell King | Ruchita Bansal

Why are our cities still congested — even as we build more roads?In this episode of The Human City Podcast, host Ruchita Bansal sits down with Russel King, a transport strategist with over 20 years of experience in the UK and Australia, to unpack one of the biggest misconceptions in urban planning: that adding more road capacity will solve traffic.Together, they explore:• Why building more roads doesn’t fix congestion (and what “induced demand” really means)• How a holistic transport strategy links walking, cycling, public transit and equity• Why buses matter more than metros in many cities — but why they get overlooked• How to use cost-benefit analysis properly (and when it fails)• The future of transport: autonomous cars, multimodal systems & changing behaviour• Why Indian cities must avoid the mistakes of the West — and what to focus on instead------------------------About the Guest: Russell King is a seasoned transport strategist with over two decades of experience spanning the UK and Australia. His career offers a rare 360-degree perspective on transport policy, having served as an elected London Councillor, strategic Policy Advisor to both the New South Wales Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and Premier, senior public servant, and advocate within influential peak bodies. Russell has a deep commitment to transport systems that are efficient, inclusive, support economic vibrancy, and make our cities healthier and more livable.Over the years, Russell has been involved in helping to deliver a range of metro lines, light rail projects, bus rapid transit, active transport and placemaking initiatives as well as significant policy reforms, including in fares, value capture and point-to-point transport. His strength lies in working out what the right transport policies are and finding ways to make them politically popular. Connect with him on Linkedin:   / russell-king-transport-leader  Subscribe to his Newsletter - https://transportlc.org/subscribe ------------------------About the Host:The Human City Podcast is hosted by Ruchita Bansal, an accomplished urban planner and project management professional. She has led major development and sustainable mobility projects across India and is the founder of SheCity India, a platform dedicated to gender-inclusive urban planning, storytelling, and data-driven advocacy.------------------------About The Human City Podcast:This podcast brings together global voices and local insights to explore how cities can be made more inclusive, sustainable, and human-centred. Each episode uncovers what it takes to design cities that truly work for people.The Human City Podcast is an initiative of SheCity India — building gender-inclusive, human-centred cities.Who should be our next guest? Write to us at: [email protected]