THE government has pledged to strike a balance between improving rural transport and protecting the countryside.

Better transport was needed to connect people with the workplace and goods with the marketplace, said transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin.

"The further you are from towns, services, jobs and friends, the more important transport becomes," he told the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

"That's why rural Britain needs good transport just as much as urban Britain."

It was important to provide transport so that rural people could benefit, Mr McLoughlin said. But it was also important to ensure the beauty of Britain didn't suffer in the process.

"Either you try to freeze progress, put up with what you have got already and condemn rural Britain to a nasty mix of stagnation and congestion.

"Or you can be confident, see transport as a good thing and do what it takes to make sure that transport helps the countryside, not harms it."

Delivering the CPRE 2012 Annual Lecture in London on Tuesday (13 November), Mr McLoughlin said cars had a growing impact on the countryside.

"Rural traffic is rising fast. And that's affecting the tranquillity of the countryside. So while I want people to be free to drive, I also want to protect what they come to the countryside to enjoy.

He added: "A lot of rural people and visitors don't have access to a car, or don't want to drive. So we have got to help rural bus services, and support alternatives like community transport."

The government was keeping the Concessionary Travel Scheme which allows older and disabled people to travel for free on local bus services after the morning peak.

It was also developing a new approach to subsidising buses.

"We're putting £600m into the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. And we've also increased funding to boost community transport. Community rail, in particular, has been a great success."

At the same time, too many country roads carried a reminder of how insensitive planners could be to aesthetics, Mr McLoughin said.

"Ugly and unnecessary signs clutter up the network.

"New signs seem to sprout like weeds, without any apparent consideration of what's already there. Often what we're left with is not just a blot on the landscape.

"It's confusing and potentially dangerous too."

The government had relaxed rules that once insisted on two signs by the road side when one would do. It was also working on revised Traffic Signs Regulations.

"The combined effect of these changes will be to give authorities and designers much greater freedom to simplify and use fewer signs at country junctions.

"So my message today to highways engineers is: if in doubt, don't do it."

CPRE chief executive Shaun Spiers said he was grateful to Mr McLoughlin for addressing many of the organisation's key transport priorities and concerns.

"We are particularly pleased to hear him speak about the importance of ensuring that transport policy does not damage rural beauty.

"We look forward to working with the Department for Transport as it supports local communities in addressing the vital issues of clutter, road safety and better public transport."