Two winners have been announced for the 2026 ITS UK Allan Prize Essay Competition: Charlotte Parrish won the Student Essay Award, and Esther Fobi was the winner of the Early Careers Essay Award.
The Allan Prize Competition, which was this year sponsored by Smart Applications Management, invites postgraduate students studying a transport discipline and early career transport professionals to submit essays on a transport technology-related topic. Both winners will receive a £750 cash prize, a mentoring session with a leading industry figure, and publication of their essay through ITS UK channels.
Charlotte, an MSc Planning student at the University of Plymouth, received the Student Essay Awards for her essay “Ensuring Safe, Sustainable and Inclusive Transport: Assessing the Opportunities and Barriers of Digitalisation in Planning Practice”. Her submission explored how technologies including artificial intelligence, geographic information systems (GIS) and integrated ticketing can support more inclusive, safe and sustainable transport planning, while highlighting the governance and institutional challenges that must be addressed to unlock their full potential.
Esther, a Graduate Civil Engineer at Galliford Try, won the Early Careers category for her essay “Built In, Left Out: How Intelligent Transport Can Finally Serve the Workforce That Builds It”. Her submission examined how intelligent transport systems could better address the travel needs of construction workers, a group often overlooked in transport planning despite playing a critical role in delivering infrastructure projects. Her win this year is the second time Esther has won the Allan Prize, picking up the Student Essay Award last year.
Charlotte and Esther received their awards at the ITS UK Parliamentary Reception on 16 June, where they were recognised in front of Parliamentarians, industry leaders and stakeholders from across the transport technology sector.
Commenting on the competition, ITS UK Chief Executive Max Sugarman said:
“The future of the transport technology sector depends on attracting and supporting talented people into the industry. The Allan Prize provides an important opportunity to showcase fresh thinking and new ideas into the sector.
“Both Charlotte and Esther produced insightful, thoughtful and well-researched essays, demonstrating not only a strong understanding of transport technology, but importantly, how the use of technology in transport can deliver tangible benefits for the transport network and its users. Congratulations to both winners on this fantastic achievement!”
Andrew Seedhouse, Chairman, Smart Applications Management, said:
“SAM are delighted to have sponsored the Allan Prize essay competition with ITS UK for 2026. What a fantastic response with 32 high quality, innovative and genuinely thought-provoking essays, and what a privilege to have read them all. It gives me real confidence in the sector’s future and its ability to innovate through the talent coming forward and knowing we will be in safe hands.”
Charlotte Parrish, winner of the Student Essay Award, said:
“I feel incredibly proud to have won the ITS UK Alan Prize Essay Competition. The role of digital tools such as AI, GIS and integrated ticketing in creating safer, more inclusive and more sustainable transport systems is becoming increasingly important for the sector, and I’m excited that my work contributes to this conversation. Being presented with the award at the Houses of Parliament was an unforgettable moment. It felt like a real milestone at the start of my planning career and I’m deeply grateful for the recognition and the opportunities this award opens up.”
Esther Fobi, winner of the Early Careers Essay Award, said:
“Innovation is often measured by what technology can do, but my research focused on who it serves. It was rewarding to explore how intelligent transport systems can better support the workforce behind our infrastructure, and I’m encouraged to see this perspective being”
(Picture: ITS UK)
