A DOUBLING of parking fees and the introduction of road charges should be considered to drive cars out of the city centre, it has been claimed.

Councillor Mike Gotch, who is also deputy chairman of the west area planning committee, said he wanted to fire up the debate on how to radically reduce congestion.

His comments came after Oxford City Council unveiled its official response to a proposed transport plan for the county, put forward by the county council.

Both authorities have warned failure to do nothing could cause Oxford’s congestion to worsen to the point of total gridlock.

The road charging measures proposed by Mr Gotch would be in addition to bus “rapid transit” services feeding into the city along key routes such as Banbury and Woodstock roads, Abingdon Road and Cowley Road, suggested by the city and county councils.

Electric shuttle buses would also serve stops on a circuit around the city centre, linking up Oxford Station with the Westgate Shopping Centre, Speedwell Street, High Street and St Giles.

Liberal Democrat Mr Gotch said the measures aimed at cars were “half-hearted solutions”.

He has not yet come up with a proposal for how road charging would be implemented.

He said: “Oxford’s major problem is the sheer volume of traffic crossing the centre.

“Providing attractive and better alternatives would start to achieve a better environment, but both the city and county fail to face up to the necessary steps to achieve a better balance.

“I hope to stimulate a debate about the radical steps necessary to rescue our city from traffic gridlock.”

Mr Gotch said a “pedestrian precinct” could be created that included the service roads in St Giles, New Inn Hall Street, St Aldates down to Brewer Street, Queen Street and High Street down to Longwall Street, as well as Cornmarket and Broad Street and smaller streets between them.

Other measures he said should not be ruled out were: p Cheaper and 24-hours park-and-ride services.

* A workplace parking space levy of £1,000 per year on businesses and colleges.

* A £10 charge on drivers who wished to go south of Martyrs’ Memorial, west of The Plain, north of Speedwell Street and east of Hythe Bridge Street.

A workplace parking levy is being considered by the city and county councils, but no details have been released.

Both authorities said a congestion charge is unlikely.

Mr Gotch’s suggestions were criticised by Oxford Area Group of Advanced Motorists member Mark McArthur-Christie, who said they would cause businesses to leave the city.

He said: “We live in a hugely rural county and so for a lot of people with jobs in the city the bus service they have is not adequate for working the hours people work nowadays, so they drive for the flexibility.

“If I was running a businesses in Oxford, I would be getting concerned, because there are many places outside of it that you can now visit much more easily.”