The man appointed to sort out Bristol's traffic problems says he wants to work with all the interested parties – including First Bus – to improve the situation in the city.

Peter Mann, 43, who currently works for Oxfordshire County Council, will take up his new post as service director for transport with Bristol City Council in January.

He will be paid £92,000 a year to improve the city's daily traffic situation, with congestion estimated to cost the Bristol economy £300m a year in lost productivity.

Mr Mann, who will be in charge of a £40m budget and 400 staff, said Bristol was a city with a big economy which needed to improve its transport infrastructure to support its growing success.

He said: "I've visited Bristol a few times and I was very impressed with its vibrancy and economic growth.

"I am very excited about taking on the challenge of improving its transport infrastructure.

"I don't think that getting tough with the bus company will necessarily get the right results.

"I much prefer to work in partnership in order to improve public transport."

He said he was looking forward to working with the West of England Partnership, a body which represents the four councils in the former Avon area and which has already signed up to an integrated transport policy.

One of the policy's main elements will be the introduction of a rapid transit "bendybus" system which uses its own designated track.

Mr Mann, who is married with three children aged 15, 13 and 10, said he was not looking to move on from Bristol – he was looking forward to committing himself to the work which needed to be done in the city.

He said: "I was impressed by the sense of a city that knows what it wants to achieve.

"I have met a strong team of professionals and a close and committed senior leadership team of councillors and officers who are clearly committed to their responsibilities."

Mr Mann is currently assistant head of transport at Oxfordshire and has worked for the county council for the past nine years. He previously worked with Oxford City Council.

He said Oxford pioneered park-and- ride sites during the mid-1970s and now uses five of them to ease congestion in and out of the city centre.

He said Oxford had a strong regime of parking enforcement on bus routes to help keep buses running on time.

Lib Dem Cabinet Councillor Jon Rogers, who is in charge of the council's transport department, said: "Cutting congestion is one of our 'six to fix' commitments to the people of Bristol.

"Residents and businesses have told us what they need in terms of better public transport, sustainable travel, smart choices and better infrastructure. We have appointed Peter to put their vision into practice.

"We know it can't be achieved overnight, but we intend to work to a system of tight priorities which will see the most important changes made first. We are confident we have appointed the right person with the right focus."