Transport secretary Louise Haigh has said her department’s new motto is “move fast and fix things” and she promised to deliver the biggest overhaul to transport in a generation.

She said work would begin on rail reform, further devolution of bus powers, ensuring infrastructure works for the whole country and supporting local authorities to fix roads for the long term.

In her first address to Department for Transport (DfT) staff, Haigh set out her five strategic priorities.

They include:

• Improving performance on the railways and driving forward rail reform
• Improving bus services and growing usage across the country
• Transforming infrastructure to work for the whole country, promoting social mobility and tackling regional inequality
• Delivering greener transport
• Better integrating transport networks

She said: “It will take all our effort but the new motto of our department – our purpose – is simple: move fast and fix things.

“Our department is so clearly central to achieving the missions for government that the prime minister has committed us to.

“Growth, net zero, opportunity, women and girls’ safety, health – none of these can be realised without transport as a key enabler.”

Haigh said DfT would “think about infrastructure and services together at every turn”.

In her address to staff, she also said the department would “focus relentlessly” on improving performance on the railways and introduce “much-needed rail reform”.