A transport system on trial in Darlington may be introduced across the country.

The Local Motion scheme in Darlington - which has seen a 79 per cent increase in cycling trips in the town - has been singled out for praise by the Department for Transport.

In a letter to Alan Milburn from Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport Gillian Merron, Ms Merron said she would write to Ada Burns, chief executive of Darlington Borough Council, to congratulate the authority.

The letter said: "I have also written to every local authority to make them aware of the town's achievements."

In April 2004, the borough council was chosen from 50 other hopeful authorities to receive the funding to revolutionise the way people travel in the town.

Since then, transport infrastructure has been overhauled, with a Government grant of £3.24m being spent on creating new cycle routes and improving public transport.

On-road cycle training has been provided to 50 per cent of schoolchildren in the town, and a full-time pedestrian training co-ordinator has been in post for two years to provide road safety training to children in years one, two and three.

A council spokesman said: "We are delighted with the success of Local Motion, which has been leading the way in encouraging people to think about how they travel.

"It is beneficial not only to our efforts to cut traffic congestion, but also to the environment. It is a five-year project and we look forward to developing it further."

The council aims to increase bus journeys made each year, and reduce car trips by ten per cent.

But cyclists say the system of cycle routes remains a work in process.

Tim Stahl, a member of Darlington Cycling Campaign, said: "The consultation process has so far not been good enough, though credit has to go to the council for trying to change the town for the benefit of cyclists. What cyclists want is a way of getting to work or school as quickly and efficiently as possible - with the new routes, that is not often the case."