Bids have been invited from English cities to become the countries first ‘Sustainable Travel City’ in a move to encourage greener travel choices.

Funding up to £29m will be invested in the city over three years for the scheme that includes plans to support walking, cycling and initiatives to improve public transport.

The programme will introduce new strategies including school travel planning, cycle training, car share and club schemes, 20mph zones and consideration of parking provisions.

This follows the success of three Sustainable Travels Towns in the UK, which saw a fall in car use by 9%, increase in walking by 14%, and increase in cycling increase at 12%.

Transport Minister Paul Clark said that with the right information and improved facilities we can make a real difference to how people travel.

“The opportunity to become England’s first Sustainable Travel City will be a chance to see these benefits on a much larger scale and I look forward to seeing the bids coming in,” Clark said.

A Further, £3m will be funded to smaller local authority areas to develop their own green travel initiatives.