PEOPLE in the Wee County will be encouraged to walk, cycle and ride the bus instead of taking a car as lockdown restrictions slowly ease.

It is expected that public transport capacity will remain between 10 per cent and 25 per cent of pre-Covid-19 levels "for an extended period" in Clackmannanshire and the wider region.

That is according to documents which will be tabled at a virtual meeting of Clackmannanshire Council tomorrow, Thursday, June 25.

In line with a national plan, there are hopes to encourage the public to avoid using private cars to ensure social distancing.

An increased number of vehicles on the road could bring adverse environmental impacts and instead, there are ideas to promote cycling and walking where possible.

Representatives of the Wee County local authority have joined the recently established South East of Scotland Transport Transition Plan Group.

The group will help align approaches to transport in the wider region with planning activity to safely increase capacity across the transport system.

Council papers said: "In broad terms there will be a need for measures that seek to flatten the peak periods of demand for travel and those which maximise the supply and attractiveness of public transport as well as the opportunities for safe other modes of travel (walking and cycling) to reduce reliance upon, and discourage increased use of, the private car.

"By way of a few examples, measures to flatten demand could include encouragement of continued high levels of home working and the varying of workplace operating hours.

"Measures to maximise public transport and active travel could include more road space given over to bus lanes on arterial routes, more 'bus gates' and extensions to existing, or temporary additional, park and ride sites."

The group will work closely with public transport operators.

Meanwhile, companies such as First Bus are looking to build consumer confidence and are taking safety measures to protect passengers.

The company has reduced the capacity of each bus by a drastic 75 per cent with clear seat markings to guide customers.

First have also employed a fogging machine to improve the cleanliness of its fleet.

And since Monday, June 22, the government has made it mandatory to wear a face covering on public transport with some exemptions.