A �300 million plan to upgrade public transport in Nottingham is being hailed as the answer to traffic congestion across Europe.

The scheme is called The Big Wheel and involves creating new train stations, additional tram lines and company shuttles to get people directly to work.

Work on The Big Wheel has already begun in the city centre where car access has been restricted.

But some of the funding for the plan depends on introducing congestion charging which has caused controversy in the city.

We want to see a large proportion of business people using public transport

Gary Smerdon-White

An awareness campaign has been launched this week to introduce the new scheme to residents and businesses in the city.

It is designed to integrate train, bus and tram services and encourage people to swap their cars for public transport.

A tram line is currently being built in Nottingham and is due to open in November 2003.

Under the government's Transport 2000 plan, the city is also bidding for help to open two more lines.

Gary Smerdon-White of the Greater Nottingham Transport Partnership said: "We want people to be able to move easily between modes of transport.

"In London nobody thinks twice about changing from bus to train or tube."

To achieve the plan, there will also be new interchange points across the city.

Unfair to staff

Central government would provide 75% of the funding, but the city has to find 25% itself.

To pay for this, congestion charges are planned.

The city favours a levy on workplace parking over individual road charges.

Local businesses are against this and feel it will unfairly penalise them and their staff.

But if The Big Wheel goes ahead, Nottingham hopes to change the face of urban transport.

Mr Smerdon-White said: "By 2007 we hope to have high quality buses which are much better used, improved train services and a much more open city centre.

"We want to see a large proportion of business people using public transport."