Southend has won one of the biggest handouts in the eastern region to battle congestion and get traffic moving.

A total of £2.3 million will come to the town aimed at delivering the first stage of the integrated transport plan, upgrading bridges and maintaining highways next year.

Cash will also be ploughed into hi-tech measures along the A13 corridor in Hadleigh to help buses run to time.

Local road safety schemes and the development of the walking bus scheme for school children, pioneered in Southend, are also included.

The handout is part of a £12million Christmas present from the Government.

Highways officials were today sifting through the detailed documentation from ministers to decide where the cash will be spent.

In Southend, up to £1.65 million will go to building more cycleways, developing more initiatives across the borough like the walking bus at West Leigh Primary and Infants School, and improving access at train stations to provide better links with other forms of transport like buses and bicycles.

The remaining £696,000 will be used specifically for highways maintenance and upgrading selected bridges across Southend so they can carry the new 40-tonne super-lorries.

Senior council officers hailed the level of cash as a sign the Government liked what was being proposed in Southend.

Director of technical services David Watts said: "It's quite clear to me that Southend has got one of the biggest allocations as a unitary authority. The Government obviously likes our policies."

Mr Watts stressed a "carrot and stick" approach had to be applied to changing the way people travelled around the town and just forcing people out of cars would be a mistake.

He added: "It's got to be a balanced approach. It's not an anti-car strategy as just doing that would be silly."

Countywide, £5.17million has been allocated for maintenance and bridges.

Officially, the money has been earmarked for local plans to improve public transport and combat traffic congestion and pollution, but Essex County Council will now have to decide how it is distributed. The county council had originally bid for £18million.

Out of the settlement, around £2million will be used to build the Great Leighs bypass near Chelmsford and upgrading bridges to take 40-tonne lorries will also be a priority.

Colin Cranley, principal highways engineer at Essex County Council, said: "It's good in parts, such as the Great Leighs bypass and the allocation for bridges. But it does fall short of what can usefully be spent."

Tory highways spokesman and Canvey county councillor Ray Howard said he was "very pleased" with the settlement.

"The Telematics Scheme will allow buses priority in certain sections of the A13 so using buses will be quicker than using the car.

"It is a five year plan and this is the first trial year, but I am convinced that if it persuades people that going on the bus is better than going by car it will have done its job."

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