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Insights Transport Planner Jonathan Bonas

What is Transport Planning?

As a transport planner you may find yourself working on any number of projects which aim to prepare, assess and implement policies, plans and projects to manage and improve our transport systems. The work of a transport planner touches almost every aspect of our day-to-day lives, shaping our towns and cities to create a world where the economy and the environment can thrive. As a Transport Planner your impact on the day to day lives of the people around you is tangible and you can expect to enjoy a highly varied and stimulating work stream.

We believe that no matter what your background, if you have a passion for transforming our towns and cities then many existing skills can be applied successfully thanks to the support and training provided by Atkins.
image of Jonathan Bonas
Jon has a background in economics and policy. He joined the Government Economic Service (GES) in 2007 and worked in a diverse range of roles from plant and animal health in Defra to Airport Economic Regulation at the DfT and local government finance in DCLG. His period there saw the onset of the financial crisis in 2008 and a change of government in 2010 and 2015. 

After almost a decade, Jon was looking for a change in direction and joined the Citizens Advice as a volunteer telephone supervisor in Hounslow, London. This was a front-line job working with local people and offering support and advice on benefits, housing, employment, financial and family matters. This really opened his eyes to the issues people face in their day-to-day lives.

He moved to Bristol in the Summer of 2018, without any real prospects or plan to speak of. A chance encounter with his cousin, who worked at Atkins, persuaded Jon to look into the company as a possible career move. He attended an open recruitment event in Central Bristol the following month. Atkins staff were knowledgeable, friendly, relaxed and approachable, a quality Jon valued and has seen amongst his colleagues while working here.

Jon joined Atkins in late 2018. Since then, He has worked with multi-disciplinary teams to provide support to the development of Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) applications in the West of England and Swindon. He has also managed the development of funding bids for major transport schemes in Gloucestershire, connecting people with a range of different skill-sets and specialisms.

Find your next transport planning job with Atkins

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