A new blueprint has been released to tackle road congestion in Devon.

The 12-point plan from Devon County Council includes the idea of setting up a car-sharing database.

It also encourages employers to produce a travel plan for staff.

Discussions will be held in the new year involving the county council, other Devon local authorities and transport organisations.

Devon is not alone in experiencing congestion on its transport network Councillor David Morrish

In producing the new vision for tackling road congestion, the council acknowledged that hold-ups are becoming more severe.

It said problems are not just occurring at peak commuter times or confined to weekdays.

The issuing of the blueprint coincides with the announcement by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling that the government would not reach its target of reducing congestion by 5% at the end of the decade.

Councillor David Morrish, the council's portfolio holder for the environment, said: "We must do whatever we can to concentrate our efforts on how we make efficient use of the highway network in Devon.

Rail difficulties

"Devon is not alone in experiencing congestion on its transport network. It's a national and international problem.

"Trends such as Sunday shopping, difficulties with rail transport and reducing household sizes have all combined to add to traffic congestion.

"We hope our plan will go some way to reducing traffic problems."

The plan includes the expansion of park and rides, increased bus priority measures and setting up waiting restrictions on strategic routes.

Stricter enforcement of traffic regulations and giving motorists better information about bottlenecks and how to avoid them are also mentioned.