BRITAIN'S biggest bus and coach operator has called for a joint strategy between industry and government to secure vital public transport networks out of the Covid-19 lockdown and beyond.

Stagecoach, which runs services across Gwent and south Wales as part of its nationwide network, has set out a six-point plan for the "new normal" identifying the short and long-term changes which will help reboot the economy and protect communities.

Chief Executive Martin Griffiths outlined the proposals in a social media blog and said sustainable public transport was critical to the future. He called for the tragedy of Covid-19 to be a "defining moment" that leads to a transformed society.

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The six-point plan calls for:

• A joint operational and investment plan developed by industry and government to ensure a sustainable transition of Britain’s bus networks. Measures needed include steps to rebuild confidence in mass transit, and a move away from peak-time commuting.

• Road and street space should be prioritised for walking, cycling and high-capacity public transport over private cars.

• Wide-ranging measures to deliver on the government's levelling up agenda for regions outside London, with many hit hard by the economic shock of Covid-19.

• Lifestyle changes as well as a focus on technology to address the damaging impact of transport emissions. Pollution, already responsible for asthma and lung disease, is now being linked as a contributor to Covid-19 deaths.

• A "grown-up conversation" to re-examine fiscal policy as the government considers how to pay for the coronavirus pandemic and the necessary actions the country has taken. This would include a complete transformation in how transport journeys are taxed.

• Targeted investment in decarbonisation, including sustainable transport and infrastructure, to help restart the economy, put Britain at the forefront of the green revolution and speed up recovery.

Martin Griffiths said: "Covid-19 has taken a terrible toll on many people's lives across the UK and overseas. But among all the human tragedy, the pandemic has given us a window on what could be a positive future world - one with dramatically fewer cars on our roads, safer streets, cleaner air and less damage to our environment."