Nick Leggett commenced in the role of Chief Executive of Infrastructure New Zealand in April 2023. Previously Chief Executive of the road transport industry peak body, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, Nick’s professional career has always centred around the need for quality and sustainable infrastructure.
What you’ll learn:
Why eRUC matters now: How fuel efficiency, EV adoption, and declining petrol tax revenues have made the old system unsustainable.
How eRUC works: The shift from fuel excise to distance-based charging, and the role of GPS/odometer technology.
Lessons from heavy vehicles: What New Zealand has already learned from decades of applying road user charges to trucks.
The bigger picture: Why this reform isn’t just about roads, but about New
Timestamps:
01:05 – The Biggest Change in 50 Years
Minister Bishop’s announcement: moving away from fuel excise (petrol tax) to electronic road user charges (eRUC). Why this is a generational shift.
02:25 – Why the Current Model is Breaking Down
How fuel efficiency, EVs, and hybrids are eroding petrol tax revenues while still using road assets, and how eRUC aligns with a 30-year infrastructure vision and why bipartisan support is critical for stability.
06:12 – What is eRUC and How Does it Differ from Petrol Tax?
Explaining distance-based charging, fairness, and the role of GPS/odometer technology.
08:20 – Why Now?
Trends driving the shift: electrification, efficiency gains, equity issues, and declining revenue.
10:06 – Lessons from Heavy Vehicles
What New Zealand has learned from applying road user charges to trucks and how that informs rollout to light vehicles.
12:19 – Building Fairness into the System
How eRUC addresses regressiveness in petrol tax, with options for rebates, concessions, and dynamic pricing.
14:19 – Defining Success
What success looks like and how eRUC can build confidence that New Zealand can modernise and deliver infrastructure for the next generation.
This episode is produced in partnership with the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies at the University of Sydney
Prof. David Levinson joined the University of Sydney from the University of Minnesota in 2017 as Foundation Professor in Transport Engineering. He conducts research on Accessibility, Transport Economics, Transport Network Evolution, and Transport and Land Use Interaction. He is the Founding Editor of the Journal of Transport and Land Use and of Findings.
What you’ll learn:
The meaning of accessibility. How it differs from mobility, how to measure it, and why it should be the core goal of transport planning.
How land use and transport are inseparable. And why treating them as separate problems leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities.
The accessibility trade-offs of major projects and policy. How initiatives create winners and losers in access, and what that reveals about policy priorities.
Why speed isn’t everything. Reaching more destinations versus moving faster, and how this shapes city design and property values.
How small design choices shape behaviour. Traffic signal timings can encourage or discourage walking, cycling, or driving.
Russell King is a seasoned transport policy 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 NSW Minister for Transport and Infrastructure and Premier, senior public servant, and advocate within influential peak bodies.
As the editor of the Transport Leader Newsletter and Blog, read by hundreds of transport decision-makers globally, Russell delivers actionable insights for leaders navigating transport's evolving landscape.
What you'll learn:
Why transport reform struggles to gain traction
The biggest mistakes transport professionals make when pushing for change
How to make transport conversations more inclusive and impactful
The difference between outputs and outcomes—and why it matters
This episode is produced in partnership with ITLS Board of Advice.
Professor Behnam (Ben) Fahimnia is a distinguished expert in supply chain management and decision sciences, currently serving as a Professor and Chair at the University of Sydney. His extensive research encompasses areas such as supply chain transformation, risk management, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in supply chain operations.
Elton Brown is a Senior Consultant at Demand Management Systems. He is also an Adjunct Lecturer in Intelligent Supply Chains at the University of Sydney, an active member of SCLAA, an author, presenter and industry advisor.
What you’ll learn:
What makes AI succeed—or fail—in supply chains?
Can AI work with poor data, or is clean data a must?
Where does human judgment still matter in automated systems?
How should AI be used at different decision levels in supply chains?
Is AI helping or hurting sustainability?
Dr. Chandra R. Bhat is the Joe J. King Endowed Chair Professor in Engineering at The University of Texas (UT) at Austin, where he teaches courses in transportation systems analysis and transportation planning. He is currently serving as the Director of the US Department of Transportation’s National University Transportation Center on Travel Behavior and Demand. Dr. Bhat is recognized nationally and internationally as a leading expert in the areas of travel behavior analysis and travel demand modeling.
What you’ll learn:
Is Public Interest Secondary in Transport Innovation? There is a growing concern that corporate interests from technology vendors are overtaking public interest in transportation planning.
The Complex Interplay of Psychology and Transportation: Transportation isn’t just about infrastructure – it’s about understanding human behavior and travel choices, which can be incredibly complex
Transportation as a Lifeline: Access to transportation directly impacts social inclusion and quality of life, making it a fundamental societal need.
Equity and Road Pricing: While pricing mechanisms can help manage travel demand, they must be implemented with careful consideration of equity
Behavioral Data and Bias in AI: AI systems trained on human driving behavior may adopt our biases, highlighting the need for human oversight, lest we exaggerate patterns and reinforce them through our own models.
This episode was produced in partnership with the ITLS Board of Advice
This episode is produced in partnership with the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS)
Andrew Petersen is the Chief Executive Officer of Business Council for Sustainable Development Australia (BCSDA). He has an enviable reputation as legal advisor on matters relating to environmental risk, law and policy, including climate change, and as a thought leader and advisor on the business of sustainability.
Andrew is a qualified solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW, solicitor of the High Court of Australia, Affiliated Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia and former Director/Company Secretary of Environment Business Australia.
What you’ll learn:
What’s the difference between ESG and sustainable development? One is about investor metrics and compliance; the other is about shaping society at large.
How did sustainability go from a side project to a business imperative?Sustainability is now a marker of market leadership—embedded in strategy, boardrooms, and capital markets.
What role will data play in shaping our transport future? From people movement to freight logistics, data will guide decisions on infrastructure, emissions, and economic resilience.
Is 2035 the real turning point for sustainable business?
With climate targets converging and the SDGs set to wrap, the next decade will be defined by building on momentum—not starting from scratch. With electric vehicles and battery tech on the rise, circular design and recycling are no longer optional.
Carol Schweiger, President of Schweiger Consulting, has over 45 years of experience and is nationally and internationally recognized in transportation technology consulting. Her wide-ranging and in-depth expertise is in several specialty areas. Ms. Schweiger has provided over 80 transportation agencies with a wide variety of technology technical assistance. She was awarded 2022 Woman of the Year by WTS Rhode Island.
What you'll learn:
Equity and Diversity in Transport is Necessary for Genuine Mobility Offerings: True transport equity means offering multiple options and ensuring those options are viable, accessible, and genuinely useful to diverse user groups.
We need Outcome-Focused Technology Adoption: Instead of adopting technology for the sake of innovation and ‘shiny object syndrome’, agencies should focus on real-world, problem-solving applications that are clearly linked to an outcome.
Understanding the Complexity of Transport Solutions: Effective transport solutions, like integrated corridor management, must be multimodal, considering incentives, behavioural nudges, and coordinated services.
Dr. Amir Sobhani is a leading road safety expert with over 22 years of experience in transport engineering, data analytics, and evidence-based policy development.
What you’ll learn:
Data is essential for proactive safety: Reactive safety strategies (based only on crash history) lead to missed opportunities for reducing trauma. Data like speed, infrastructure, and behavioural insights are key to prevention.
There are obligations on the side of governments and data providers: Legacy systems, data silos, and organizational resistance are major blockers to using analytics effectively. But data providers need to ensure they set organisations up for success by providing support and maintaining good data governance.
Michael Higgins is the co-founder of Loopit, the leading multi-mobility platform enabling rental, leasing, and car subscription solutions for OEMs, dealerships, and fleet operators. With a background in automotive technology and mobility innovation, Michael is passionate about reshaping how businesses and consumers access vehicles in an evolving transport landscape.
What you’ll learn
How Car Ownership is Changing – The shift from traditional ownership to flexible access models like subscriptions, rentals, and short-term leases.
Why Flexibility Matters – How economic uncertainty and changing consumer preferences are driving demand for alternatives to long-term car commitments.
The Blurring of Mobility Options – How leasing, renting, and car subscriptions are merging into a seamless vehicle access ecosystem.
Lessons from Other Subscription-Based Industries – What mobility providers can learn from streaming services and other flexible subscription models.
The Future of Car Access – Predictions on how automakers, mobility companies, and consumers will shape the future of private car ownership.
Dr Suzy Charman is a leading expert on the Safe System with 20 years of experience. Before joining RSF Suzy was head of international road safety at TRL, and before that she was responsible for overseeing the establishment of the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP).
What you’ll learn:
Understanding Road Risk
The Role of Connected Vehicle Data in the Evolution of Safety Models
The Importance of Considering the Business Case for Road Safety
The Role of Human Error in Road Safety
Currently serving as a strategic advisor, my expertise in transportation, land use, and the environment guides public, private, and not-for-profit organizations towards innovative and sustainable solutions. With a vision anchored in economic vitality, environmental stewardship, and access to opportunity, my efforts are modeled on successes like the Innovative DOT initiative, the National Complete Streets Coalition, the Portland Streetcar and the Glenwood Springs to Aspen Bus Rapid Transit system, setting benchmarks for mobility nationwide.
As the Secretary of Transportation at the Washington State Department of Transportation from 2016 to 2025, my leadership was defined by a commitment to resilience, sustainability, and teamwork, overseeing a $5 billion annual budget and a team of 7,600.
What you’ll learn:
The importance of maintenance over expansion – Investing in existing infrastructure ensures reliability and public trust
The hidden costs of congestion vs. crashes – While congestion is a well-known problem, crashes cost the economy significantly more, yet receive less funding and attention.
Multimodal planning and transit-oriented development – Cities benefit from shifting away from car-centric development toward integrated land-use and transportation strategies that prioritise active travel modes
Data-driven decision-making in transport – Effective advocacy requires facts that resonate with decision-makers and the public.
Dr Hafez Alavi is a passionate advocate for road safety and sustainable mobility, dedicated to shaping an inclusive future where every journey is safe and sustainable. With over 23 years of experience spanning public and private sectors, academia, and injury prevention research, he has played a pivotal role in advancing road safety strategies at both national and international levels. Hafez was a key contributor to the Victorian Government’s Towards Zero Strategy.
What you’ll learn:
The critical role that speed plays in causing traffic crashes and their severity.
Why road safety should be integrated early into planning and policy
The human impacts behind road crash statistics
The importance of political accountability, cultural shifts, and public education in improving road safety.
Darcy Bullock is the Lyles Family Professor of Civil and Construction Engineering at Purdue University and serves as the director of the Joint Transportation Research Program (JTRP). Bullock is a Registered Professional Engineer in Indiana and has over 30 years of experience working closely with academia, transportation agencies, and private sector partners in the area of transportation systems and big data analytics.
What you’ll learn
Do our vehicles know more about our road networks than we do?
How has connected vehicle data changed ‘how we do business' across transportation planning and road network management?
What insights can traffic heat maps reveal about congestion, road closures, and incidents?
At what point does connected vehicle data penetration become sufficient for making reliable transportation decisions?
What are the biggest opportunities for transportation agencies to work smarter, not harder, using connected vehicle data?
This episode is in partnership with the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS) Board of Advice
Xiaolin Gong is a recent PhD graduate from the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS). Her research focuses on transport modelling, specifically developing a novel macroscopic transport model to improve the efficiency of transport networks.
What you’ll learn:
About Xiaolin’s research and it’s application to transport modelling
What are ‘macroscopic’ approaches to transport modelling
About the ITLS Board of Advice, and Xiaolin’s experience as a young professional
Advice for those considering a PhD in transport and logistics studies
This episode is in partnership with the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS) Board of Advice
Jake Whitehead is currently CEO of the mobility-as-a-service provider, ODIN PASS, and the Chief Scientist at the Electric Vehicle Council of Australia. Jake has led several publicly-funded transport research projects investigating future mobility trends, including consumer preferences towards shared, automated and electric vehicles. He was also a Lead Author for the Transport Chapter AR6 at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is as Adjunct Professor at ITLS, and is also a member of the International Electric Vehicle Policy Council, at the University of California, Davis.
What you’ll learn
This episode is created in partnership with the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies
Simon started as the Chief Transport Planner in Transport for NSW in 2022. In this role he is responsible for the Strategic Planning Branch that sets the future direction for Transport in NSW. Simon has worked for over 20 years in the NSW Government, primarily in Transport, working in policy and planning roles in freight, regional and urban transport roles as well as in infrastructure strategy as an Executive Director at Infrastructure NSW.
What you’ll learn:
How Simon’s previous experiences across different roles has influenced his approach to transport planning
Some of the current transport initiatives happening in NSW
About ITLS and the Board of Advice
Sean is a co-founder of Zephr.xyz Inc. with a background in computational simulation and modeling for geospatial phenomena. Previously he was an Engineering Manager at Snap working on mapping and visual positioning systems (VPS). Before Snap he was the CEO of Pixel8earth a crowdsourced VPS system for AR.
What you’ll learn:
What is GNSS?
How is GNSS positioning important to the wide scale adoption of augmented reality?
What are some of the most challenging scenarios when it comes to GNSS-enabled technology
Address potential concerns about privacy and data security in a system that relies on user devices.
projecting 5-10 years into the future of urban mobility
This interview is part of a special collaboration between Byte Size and the Institute of Transport and Logistic Studies (ITLS) Board of Advice from the University of Sydney.
Julie leads the Transport Strategy team in Transport for NSW who deliver better community outcomes through collaboratively creating strategies and tools informed by robust evidence that anticipate future challenges and opportunities. She has over 30 years’ experience in the transport sector and a strong personal interest in transport disadvantage.
What you’ll learn
What is Transport Disadvantage and why is it important to address it?
How do we balance long-term strategic transport planning with the immediate demands of communities and the network?
About the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (ITLS)
This 4-part series is in partnership with ITS Australia. Compass IoT is the official Podcast Sponsor of the ITS Australia Summit 2024 in Sydney.
Irene McAleese is Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at See.Sense, an award-winning cycling and micromobility technology and data company, helping cities transform for more sustainable travel. Originally from Brisbane, Irene has lived in UK and Asia for the last 20 years and has recently returned to Brisbane to set up a sales office for See.Sense. With over a decade of experience spearheading change projects in the transport and telecommunication sectors, Irene brings a rich blend of insight and innovation to the dynamic field of urban mobility.
What you’ll learn:
How does See.Sense use technology to enhance cycling safety in urban environments?
How does See.Sense's data insights help cities and towns improve cycling infrastructure?
How does See.Sense collaborate with local authorities, research, and othwr businesses to apply actionable insights about cycling?
About the ITS Australia Sydney Summit 2024
This 4-part series is in partnership with ITS Australia. Compass IoT is the official Podcast Sponsor of the ITS Australia Summit 2024 in Sydney.
Carla commenced as CEO of ANCAP Safety in December 2020. Previously Carla lead advocacy and regulatory change at ASX listed financial services firm, Challenger Limited. Carla has held a number strategy, policy, legal and product development roles across the financial sector and her qualifications include Juris Doctor and Masters of Law (UTS), Executive MBA (AGSM) and Applied Psychology (Canberra). Carla is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
What you'll learn:
