More buses key to hospital jams

Councillors fear Headington could be swamped with vehicles when the Radcliffe Infirmary moves to the John Radcliffe site at Headington.

Colin Buchanan and Partners was commissioned by Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council to devise a transport strategy for the area.

The firm's recommendations include improving bus services, creating bus-only link roads to the John Radcliffe Hospital site and developing cycle routes to provide attractive alternatives to car travel.

Project manager Rob Goldup said: "A large proportion of traffic in the area is hospital traffic and proposals to close the Radcliffe Infirmary and concentrate hospital activities in Headington will add to traffic problems unless travel by other means is made more attractive."

But Old Marston parish councillors say the proposals do not go far enough. They believe few people will be encouraged to leave their cars at home and travel by bus.

They think the solution is to build a car park off the A40 Oxford Northern Bypass and introduce a shuttle bus service to take motorists to the hospital site.

The parish councillors are also concerned that public consultation on the proposals has come too late in the decision-making process.

The level of funding needed to improve the transport to the hospital has already been agreed and parish councillors fear there may not be enough money to pursue more drastic measures.

Cllr Jock Coats, who represents Old Marston and Risinghurst ward on the city council, has called for the issue of funding to be referred to a meeting of the full council on Monday, July 16.

Cllr Coats said that one of the biggest criticisms of the consultants' report was that it was not very forward-thinking.

The consultants' proposals will come under the public spotlight at exhibitions in the Baptist Church hall, in Old High Street, Headington, on Thursday, July 12, from 2pm to 8pm; Friday, July 13, from 2pm to 5pm, and Saturday, July 14, from 10am to 4pm.