A bus-choked city centre street could be transformed into a calm shopping area with water features in a major transport shake-up.

Consultants have recommended there should be a bus loop between Market Street and John Street, with mini interchanges at Cheapside and Westgate.

They say the project would help shoppers get to the heart of the retail core.

And they have warned the chaos in Market Street, where pedestrians struggle to walk on pavements because of bus queues, is detrimental to the city's future.

The proposals for the Market neighbourhood of the developing city - now out for public consultation - would make John Street and Market Street public transport corridors with wider footpaths, trees and water features.

Today Khadim Hussain, operations director for bus company First, which runs hundreds of services along Market Street and the rest of the city, confirmed talks had begun on proposals put forward by Bradford Council.

He said: "We have met and we need to look at the proposals. We will do our best to co-operate."

But Mr Hussain stressed they would also have to take into account the views of bus users.

The Council's executive member for the environment, Coun Anne Hawkesworth, said they were looking at the whole issue of public transport across the city after a recent successful trial of battery-operated trams.

Councillor Chris Greaves, chairman of Bradford Passenger Consultative Committee, said he believed a loop was "absolutely essential".

Coun Greaves, who is also Bradford representative on West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority, said: "It is vital to transport people up to the top end of the city and not have a stream of people going to one area and not the other."

The city centre has been split into Markets, Bowl, Channel and Valley neighbourhoods in line with the master plan drawn up by architect Will Alsop.

Consultants point out that Market Street is a key link between the top end of the city and Broadway.

The full Markets neighbourhood plan can be seen at Bradford planning office, 3rd Floor, Jacob's Well, Bradford, at Shipley and Ilkley town halls and public libraries at Shipley, Bingley and Ilkley. It is on the web at www.bradford.gov.uk.

Comments should be made to Planning Implementation Group, Bradford Council, Transportation, Design and Planning Department, FREEPOST BD818, 8th Floor, Jacobs Well, Bradford, BD1 1BR, by Tuesday.