PLANS to improve transport have been drawn up after extensive consultation.

A series of proposals has been put forward as part of North Yorkshire's local transport plan, which aims to secure £14m of Government cash a year over the next five years.

Initiatives include feasibility studies on the possibility of reopening the rail lines from Northallerton to Ripon and Harrogate, and Malton to Pickering.

The plan also examines the difficulties faced by disabled people, and improving information on public transport; it looks at strategies to encourage people to walk or cycle instead of using a car for short journeys.

Greg Archer, senior planner for environmental services at the county council, said: "This is a key plan for us and we have set ourselves some very stringent targets, from safety to public transport.

"It is a long-term plan and you can't change attitudes overnight, although we recognise that in a predominantly rural county like North Yorkshire there is heavy dependency on the car. But a significant minority don't have access to a car and they should have a viable, attractive, affordable alternative option and that is what this plan is about."

The plan includes a bid to fund a feasibility study to open the ten-mile Ripon to Harrogate railway line, closed in 1967, which could also be extended to Northallerton to link up with the East Coast Main Line.

Mr Archer said: "Ripon is one of only a handful of North Yorkshire towns and cities without access to a railway station.

"We want to look at what exactly are the infrastructure requirements, and what is the demand for the services.

"If that proves positive we could approach the Strategic Rail Authority for funding the scheme.

"The same is true for the Malton to Pickering line and there could be huge spin-offs from reopening these routes."

The plan comes after a provisional document was prepared last year.

It will be submitted to the Government next month, with a decision on funding expected towards the end of the year