PETROL and diesel vehicles are at the bottom of the Welsh Government’s planned hierarchy for transport investment.

Schemes which promote cycling and walking will be the highest priority under the proposal.

Public transport is in second place, followed by ultra low emission vehicles such as electric cars.

Other private motor vehicles are at the bottom of the list, in a bid to stop travelling by car being seen as “the easiest way to get around for most people”.

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The policy is part of a 20-year plan named “Llwybr Newydd – New Path” to cut carbon emissions from transport.

The sector makes up 17 per cent of Wales’ total carbon emissions, according to the Welsh Government.

Ambitions for the plan include:

  • Reducing the need to travel;
  • Making sustainable transport more affordable and appealing;
  • Supporting innovation.

An acceleration of the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 to 2030 will reportedly be announced by the UK Government in the coming days.

The Welsh Government has previously outlined its long-term ambition for 30 per cent of the workforce to work from home or remotely, by giving people more choice over where they do their job.

Wales’ transport minister Ken Skates said the country’s transport system is “at an important moment in its development”.

He went on: “Our climate is in crisis, new technology is disrupting the way we think about travel itself and coronavirus is severely testing the financial and economic foundations of public transport models.

“Our new strategy – Llwybr Newydd – sets out a commitment to a major reduction in transport emissions so we are all playing our part to address the crisis we face.

“It shows how promoting social justice and tackling the climate emergency will be at the heart of our work, particularly in the context of a pandemic which is fundamentally changing the way we live, work and play.

“The shift towards a greener transport system is already under way, with record levels of investment in active travel and public transport.

“Llwybr Newydd is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinforce and accelerate that work so that we can make our transport system in Wales genuinely fit for future for generations to come.”

Deputy minister for transport Lee Waters said: “We’ve reached the point where travelling by car is seen as the easiest way to get around for most people.

“If we are to succeed in tackling climate change that has to change, but it’s going to take a big effort to encourage people to consider alternatives.

“We will only succeed in persuading people to alter their habits if we make the alternative to using the car more attractive. And that’s the task our new transport strategy sets itself.”

A consultation on the proposals will run until January 25 2021.