Transport body proposed in FSB Wales' 2016 manifesto

A single transport body with responsibility for roads, rail, buses and cycling in Wales is proposed among "radical" new measures from the Federation of Small Business.

Its assembly election manifesto includes creating something similar to Transport for London to create a "genuine integrated transport system".

It also wants an organisation responsible for supporting small firms.

The FSB said it was "deliverable" with existing Welsh government funding.

The organisation, which has 10,000 members among the 200,000 small and medium sized enterprises in Wales, wants parties to adopt its Transport for Wales idea.

The organisation - to be fully functioning within three years - would create an investment plan and manage a Wales-wide rail franchise.

It would follow a similar model to Transport for London including ticketing across services as with the Oyster card.

The manifesto also wants:

• A Wales Small Business Administration to loan money to firms, provide advice and handle public contracts. It would take responsibility for Finance Wales/Development Bank, Business Wales and the National Procurement Service.

• Councils to be given legal responsibility to promote economic development and regeneration, with budgets and staff transferred from the Welsh government.

• A radical overhaul of business rates and the introduction of better regulation.

The FSB said the measures would help small businesses grow and create more jobs.

The "business manifesto" has been drawn together following research by a number of leading academics for the organisation ahead of May's assembly election.

One of those reports, by Manchester Business School and revealed by BBC Wales last week, said more help was needed for growing firms to stay under Welsh ownership.

The manifesto has been independently costed and could be delivered within current budgets according to the FSB.

FSB Wales policy manager Dr Rachel Bowen said: "We are convinced that if the next Welsh government takes up the policies that we are proposing in our manifesto then businesses and the economy in communities the length and breadth of Wales will benefit."

The manifesto will be launched on Wednesday evening at a cross-party event in Cardiff Bay.