The International Road Federation (IRF) joined the Transport Data Commons (TDC) Global Launch Workshop at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow on 23-24 February 2026, where global actors working on transport data convened to advance collaboration on open and accessible data systems. 

Julia Funk, IRF Head of Data, Programmes and Knowledge, participated in the workshop and joined a panel discussion examining how open data practices can catalyse systemic change across the transport sector. 

The TDC is a coalition of more than 30 leading transport organisations working to establish a shared, public, frequently updated and globally accessible database for transportation. Its objective is to ensure that meaningful data is readily available to stakeholders worldwide who are advancing sustainable, low-carbon transport and mobility systems. By aligning data standards and facilitating interoperability, the initiative seeks to strengthen evidence-based decision-making across policy, finance, operations and research. 

During the discussion, Julia drew on lessons from the IRF’s flagship data programme, the World Road Statistics (WRS), which has been compiled annually since 1964 and now covers over 200 countries and territories across more than 200 indicators.  

She highlighted the fundamental shift required in how transport data is framed and used, moving beyond counting infrastructure expansion toward measuring performance and development outcomes. This transformation requires a wide range of indicators that capture access to essential services, safety performance, climate resilience, alongside other indicators related to development objectives. 

Since transitioning to broader public access in 2022, IRF’s WRS platform has experienced a substantial increase in usage, demonstrating how removing barriers can accelerate uptake, partnerships and policy relevance. She underscored the operational realities of maintaining high-quality, trusted datasets: consistent engagement with national statistical sources, semantic harmonisation, longitudinal consistency and human-led validation remain essential components of credible global data systems. 

The workshop further explored how initiatives such as TDC can function as connective infrastructure, linking datasets, platforms and standards to provide a more coherent picture of transport performance globally. This systems-level approach is particularly relevant to tracking implementation efforts under the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport and ensuring that progress can be measured in a consistent and transparent manner.