Paying tribute to the father of transport planning. A remarkable man who stopped flying or cruising because of his care for the environment. His last words, reflecting his approach to work and life, “it’s been a pleasure”.

I had the honour last night to attend on behalf of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) the memorial event of Professor David Bayliss OBE at the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), co-hosted by the Transport Planning Society, RAC Foundation, Rees Jeffreys Road Fund and Imperial College London.

A lot of big guns associated with the transport planning world shared their rmemories of working with and benefitting from the influence of David: Steve Gooding, Julia Hawkins, Elaine Seagriff, Lord Denis Tunnicliffe, David Quarmby, Stephen Glaister, Tony Travers, Tony May, Michele Dix, Peter Stonham, Peter, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill and Ben Plowden.

It was a humbling evening to reflect on the remarkable contribution of someone with true leadership qualities who through his deep knowledge, political acumen, humility, professionalism and passion commanded widespread respect. In no small way, David’s influence shaped London, it helped give birth to transport planning as a recognised profession and enabled the emergence of the TPS.

Peter Hendy pointed out how he had felt like a young boy in the presence of David in his earlier career. David Quarmby referred to him as the father of transport planning. Stephen Glaister referred to him as a gentle giant. Michele Dix had David as her first boss, the boss she knew she wanted to be like. Peter Stonham reminded us of David’s membership of five professional institutions because transport planning belonged everywhere and yet nowhere. Julia Hawkins and Elaine Seagriff noted David’s professional integrity and his ability to earn the respect of all shades of politicians.

My own memories of David are few but dear. As a young academic in the 1990s I did a review of ‘teleworking’ for London Transport. I learnt that the big boss David Bayliss had rather liked the report. In 2010 I was awarded an honourary TPP by the TPS alongside David and others. In 2016 I joined the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund Board of Trustees, overlapping with David for a precious couple of months.

Ben Plowden aptly remarked that the one person conspicuous by his absence from the event was David himself. He would have been pleased by what was said.

The discussions afterwards ran long into the evening with a strong sense of kinship. Easy to forget that in the era being reflected back upon, planning was out of fashion, and transport planning was in its infancy. We owe so much to David.

I found myself wondering what David would make of the state of affairs in 2025. And of the many things said of note during the evening, one from his grandson Jacob stood out – David stopped flying or cruising because of his care for the environment.

Thank you Elaine for being so central to making the evening come about.