'Personal travel plans' project for commuters in Wales

Personalised travel plans will be created to help get people out of their cars

Personal travel plans to encourage commuters out of cars could be produced by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Personalised bus timetables and cycle route maps would be part of a project to make it easier for travel by foot, bus, bike and train.

It will start with a survey of travel habits in Cardiff.

Transport charity Sustrans, which will run it, said a similar scheme in England helped cut car journeys and boosted public transport.

Information will go out to homes so people can learn about the alternatives to driving that are available in their neighbourhoods.

The assembly government said the scheme could have a big impact in Cardiff and the Mon a Menai area of north Wales - both named as sustainable travel centres where new public transport and cycling infrastructure is being built.

Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said the "exciting initiative" would provide "valuable research" into traffic habits and encourage more sustainable travel.

He said: "Personalised travel planning could become an important part of our transport system, challenging all of us to consider how we could benefit from alternative modes of travel other than the private car and contribute to greater accessibility, social inclusion and sustainability."

Sustrans Cymru deputy director Jane Lorimer said: "This has the potential to bring about real and sustained change in the way people in Wales travel, which will encourage more active lifestyles, tackle congestion problems and help cut carbon emissions from transport."

Ms Lorimer said Sustrans had already seen great results from similar projects elsewhere in the UK, typically seeing a cut in car trips by around 10%.