BUSES will be given the green light through St Albans under a new traffic priority scheme.

The Scoot project is part of a £600m local transport plan for Hertfordshire that was approved by county councillors last week.

The local transport plan sets out the vision, objectives and targets for all modes of transport in the county during the next ten to 15 years.

The St Albans bus priority measures are part of the plan, which includes a £190 million bid to the Government for funding.

Detailed schemes drawn up for the next five years are projects for St Albans and London Colney.

The Scoot scheme, aimed at helping buses move through the city streets, is one of the priorities for the local transport plan.

Councillor Jane Pitman, chairman of the environment committee, said: 'What we can achieve depends on how much money we receive from the Government against our annual bids, so we will be encouraging other local authorities to lobby the Government for fair funding settlements for Hertfordshire in the future.'

The overall priorities and objectives for the county as a whole include:

rReducing road collisions and casualties

rProviding access to main facilities for all

rPromoting sustainable transport and reducing the environmental impact

rPlanning a more efficient use of the transport system, particularly for commerce and industry.