LANCASTER'S MP Hilton Dawson is urging Lancashire County Council to bid for a multi-million pound programme of sustainable transport measures to make the city the envy of the country.

In a letter to county highway's chief Nora Ward he says that whatever road scheme Lancashire County Council choose for Lancaster, or whether they go ahead with one at all, the way is clear for them to seek an extra £30/40/50 million for a whole range of measures to improve public transport.

These include developing safe routes to all schools, promoting green commuter plans for major local employers and transforming traffic problems into an integrated and sustainable system which would make our City an example and the envy of the whole country.

On Friday some 70 people attended Lancaster Town Hall for an discussion about the ways to develop a wide range of initiatives to develop a sustainable transport system.

Hilton said: "It is essential that Lancashire County Council take the proposals of Prof John Whitelegg on board, understand what our Labour Government is saying to us about transport policy and seize this vital moment to produce something great for Lancaster. There are only a few weeks to decision day and then a matter of months to refine a bid which could result in huge investment to radically improve Lancaster's transport system by December 2002.

In order to make progress, Hilton is seeking a meeting between County Council members and officials and the Coalition on Sustainable Transport which was created from Friday's public meeting.