Pete Dyson and Rory Sutherland: Transport for Humans: Are We Nearly There Yet?

Transport for Humans by Pete Dyson and Rory Sutherland challenges the traditional view of transport as purely an engineering problem. Instead, it argues that journeys are psychological experiences shaped by perception, emotion, and expectation. Drawing on behavioural science, the authors show how small, human-centred design changes can improve how travel feels — without needing expensive infrastructure upgrades. From train delays to bus stops, they explore how trust, predictability, and even boredom influence our daily commutes. This book is a fresh reminder that successful transport isn’t just about speed — it’s about making travel more intuitive, comfortable, and meaningful for the people using it.

🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences

1. Transport systems should be designed with human psychology in mind, not just efficiency and engineering.
2. People's perceptions of time, comfort, and fairness shape their travel experiences as much as — if not more than — raw journey times.
3. By using behavioral science principles, we can make transport feel better without necessarily making it faster.

🎨 Impressions and How the Book Changed Me
This book flipped my view on public transport from a technical problem to a human-centered challenge. It made me rethink what makes a journey feel “good” — it’s not just about speed or cost, but trust, expectations, and even surprise. It’s also made me notice how often planners ignore psychology when designing systems meant for people.

✍️ My Top 5 Quotes

1. “The opposite of a good journey is not a slow one, but a frustrating one.”
2. “We don’t perceive time objectively; we feel it.”
3. “Small, thoughtful changes can outperform billion-dollar infrastructure when they align with human behavior.”
4. “If you want to change behavior, change the context.”
5. “Being predictable can be better than being fast.”

🧭 How I Discovered It
I found it through a recommendation from a behavioral science podcast — it stood out because of Rory Sutherland’s reputation and the unusual focus on psychology in transport.

👤 Who Should Read It?
Urban planners, policy makers, behavioral science enthusiasts, and anyone frustrated by their daily commute. It’s also great for UX designers or systems thinkers interested in applying psychology to large-scale experiences.

🎓 How Teachers Could Use Transport for Humans

1. Rethinking Timetables and Transitions
   Apply the book’s ideas about perceived time to improve transitions between lessons, reduce rush and stress, or even rethink how the school day is structured — making it feel more manageable for students and staff.
2. Teaching Psychology or HSIE
   Use real-world examples from the book to explore how human behaviour influences infrastructure and decision-making — great for Stage 3–5 units on civics, community planning, or consumer decision-making.
3. STEM or Design Thinking Tasks
   Get students to reimagine a school system (like the canteen line, public transport to school, or classroom layout) using behavioural science principles like fairness, expectations, and perceived efficiency.
4. Empathy in Design
   Emphasise that good systems aren’t just efficient — they’re felt experiences. This ties in well with cross-curricular priorities around ethical understanding and designing with empathy in mind.
5. Professional Reflection and Staff PD
   Teachers and leaders can reflect on how school routines and systems impact how students and families feel, not just how they function — an opportunity to reframe common frustrations through a behavioural lens.

If you'd like to read more of my Book Summaries, you might find these interesting.

I am using the style that the brilliant Ali Abdaal uses here.