ATRF Behavioural Insights Group

About

Established in October 2025, the Committee for Behavioural Insights (CBI) is a standing group of the Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF). The group brings together researchers, practitioners and industry leaders from across Australia and New Zealand who share an interest in how behavioural insights can improve transport research, policy and practice.

The purpose of the ATRF Committee for Behavioural Insights is to promote and improve the quality of behavioural insights research in Australia and New Zealand, and to advocate for the incorporation of evidence based behavioural methods and insights into transport and land-use planning and analysis, design, and implementation.

The group's activities span methods, applications, outcomes, communication, advocacy and a "state of the nation" view of behavioural insights work across Australasia. We meet online monthly, run quarterly hybrid presentations with invited guest speakers, and hold an annual in-person workshop on the sidelines of the ATRF conference.

ATRF-CBI is co-chaired by Kate Mackay and Liz Ampt. Durba Kundu is the Secretary, Justine Smith and Yuting Zhang are the Research Coordinators, and Alex Iljin and Leonie Gibbons are the Events Coordinators. Membership is intentionally diverse — spanning government, consultancy, academia and industry — so that the group's work reflects the breadth of practice in the region.

To become a member or friend of ATRF-CBI, contact Kate Mackay or Liz Ampt, the co-chairs. All members of ATRF-CBI must be members of ATRF (it's free).

Research Needs

The group identified the following list of behavioural-insights research needs across Australasia:

• Understanding behaviour in context
• Moving from evidence to intervention
• Strengthening evaluation and reporting in practice
• Encouraging uptake of sustainable transport
• Responding to new and emerging transport modes
• Addressing equity, access, and inclusion
• Keeping pace with disruption and social change
• Building a stronger evidence base through synthesis
• Improving the use of survey and modelling data
• Understanding the implications of emerging technology and AI
• Strengthening methods, capability, and peer learning

Have a behaviour-related challenge? We'd love to hear about it.

Resources

Online resources for behavioural insights in transport.

Other

• Behavioral Insights — Hallsworth & Kirkman (MIT Press)
• Become an ATRF member (free)

Events

Industry and academic events related to behavioural insights in transport.

Upcoming events

• CBI Monthly Meeting (August)
  Online (Teams) · 2 September 2026
• 47th ATRF Conference
  Sydney · 24-26 Nov 2026

Past presentations

• Beyond Time and Cost - Parenting, Culture and the Social Practices of Car Use
  Jennifer Kent (University of Sydney) presented her research on why people travel the way they do drawing on Social Practice Theory. Hosted by the ATRF Behavioural Insights Group on 5 August 2026.
  Download slides (PDF)
• Behavioural insights in transport - informing, testing and generating practical evidence
  Bowen Fung (Behavioural Insights Team) presented on how behavioural insight perspectives can be used to identify drivers of behaviour and inform targeted interventions in transport-related projects. Hosted by the ATRF Behavioural Insights Group on 3 June 2026.
  Download slides (PDF)
• Qualitative Research Methods to Generate Behavioural Insights
  Ben Kraal (HCL, formerly Simplicit) presented on the use of qualitative research methods to generate behavioural insights. Hosted by the ATRF Behavioural Insights Group on 6 May 2026.
• Behavioural Change Initiatives at RAC — Community Impact
  Ben Kent (RAC WA) presented on behavioural change initiatives being implemented by RAC. Hosted by the ATRF Behavioural Insights Group on 1 April 2026.
  Download slides (PDF)
• Behavioural Insights for Transport
  Dr Kavya Raj (BehaviourWorks Australia, Monash University) presented an introduction to behavioural insights for transport, covering the COM-B model of behaviour and a case study. Hosted by the ATRF Behavioural Insights Group in February 2026.
  Download slides (PDF)

Team

Leadership

• 
  Kate Mackay
  Co-Chair
  Arup
• 
  Liz Ampt
  Co-Chair
  Concepts of Change
• 
  Durba Kundu
  Secretary
• 
  Justine Smith
  Research Coordinator
  WA Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure
• 
  Yuting Zhang
  Research Coordinator
  Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, The University of Sydney
• 
  Alex Iljin
  Events Coordinator
• 
  Leonie Gibbons
  Events Coordinator

Committee members

• 
  Abhishek Sanjeev Gavande
• 
  Adri van der Mescht
• 
  Akshay Vij
• 
  Andrew Allan
• 
  Anna Sunter
• 
  Ashikur Rahman
• 
  Ben Kent
• 
  Ben Kraal
• 
  Elizabeth Claridge
• 
  Emily Moylan
• 
  Hormoz Marzbani
• 
  James Edwards
• 
  Jan Zill
  Outer Loop Consulting
• 
  Louise Baker
• 
  Mark Davis
• 
  Patricia Sauri Lavieri
• 
  Sam Taylor
• 
  Stephen Greaves
• 
  Taha Rashidi
• 
  Tony Brennand
• 
  Virginie Vernin