Transport systems in low- and middle-income countries are often underdeveloped, costly, polluting and exclusionary, limiting access to jobs, markets and essential services and creating public health challenges. Large investment gaps in sustainable transport and weak mobilization of private finance risk locking many countries into high‑carbon, unsafe and inequitable networks for generations.

RIDE is a UK-funded, collaborative project to accelerate applied research specifically prioritizing the needs of low- and middle-income countries and overcoming chronic underinvestment. Working with governments, development banks and local partners across Africa and Asia, RIDE translates research into decision-support tools to help countries design transport systems that reduce costs, enhance market access, drive productivity gains and unlock climate finance.

WRI is the Research Pillar lead, generating evidence through a mix of approaches to help build inclusive, low‑carbon transport systems that support economic growth, social justice and climate goals.

RIDE focuses on four key areas along with several cross-cutting themes:

  1. Transport, logistics and trade: Reducing emissions from freight and maritime transport while improving road safety and enabling trade along commercial corridors.
  2. Productive, efficient urban transport: Decarbonizing urban mobility, improving access to jobs and goods.
  3. Transport decarbonization, adaptation and resilience: Integrating climate adaptation and resilience into transport planning and infrastructure.
  4. Mobilizing finance: Generating evidence on de-risking instruments, regulatory reforms and financing mechanisms to unlock investment in sustainable infrastructure

Cross-cutting themes across these topic areas include gender, safety, inclusion, digitalization and climate action, ensuring sustainable transport benefits reach those most in need.

How RIDE Works

In Phase 1 of RIDE, the program commissions cutting-edge in-house research with WRI and partners, alongside targeted research calls with UK universities and research institutions. Led by TRL (formerly Transport Research Laboratory) an Agile Response Unit conducts rapid analysis to respond to emerging policy opportunities and government priorities. Phase 2 of RIDE will expand to open research calls led by institutions and regional hubs in Africa and Asia.

Research is co-produced with transport agencies, development banks and local partners to ensure findings are directly relevant to decision-making. Research outputs are translated into policy briefs, toolkits, decision-support tools and datasets tailored for governments and financial institutions.

The program will operate across up to 10 countries in Africa and Asia, with regional coordination hubs to validate priorities, build research capacity, and drive uptake of evidence into policy and investment decisions.

Cover photo: Unsplash+