MORE bus services to key locations are needed to get people off the roads and using Bicester's park and ride, it has been claimed.

Oxfordshire County Council said a new report on the park and ride show it is working well to alleviate traffic problems in Bicester.

But town mayor Les Sibley has said more needs to be done to alleviate congestion on the town's roads.

Mr Sibley said: "It is pleasing and reassuring that people are using the park and ride.

"But we still need to do a lot more to introduce more services to the site and in turn more people.

Mr Sibley said he had spoken with bus companies and the county council regarding more direct services to Oxford's hospitals as well as airport services and a town centre service which would serve both Tesco and Wyevale along the A41.

He said: "We need services like this because I know there is a demand for it, plus it will help in getting more traffic off the roads."

A report from Oxfordshire County Council, which runs the park and ride in Vendee Drive, Kingsmere, surveyed hundreds of users over four days and concluded the facility is working to reduce on-street parking in the town centre and traffic from the A34.

The local authority surveyed 210 people using the park and ride over four days during April and March and found 24 per cent stayed between one to four hours, 39 per cent between four to eight hours and 32 per cent longer than eight hours.

The county council said these was broadly the same pattern as in 2016, but added that more bus passengers are also being recorded using the site.

Bus company Stagecoach spokeswoman Abbie Dando said: "Passenger usage for Stagecoach services at Bicester Park and Ride has continued to grow.

"We have seen the number of people boarding increase by over 53 per cent across the first six months of this year, compared to the same period in 2016."

Current services from the park and ride include Stagecoach's S5 service to Oxford city centre as well as a shuttle bus service to Bicester Village.

The county council report added that direct services to other areas of Oxford are being explored but further development of the 580-space park and ride may be required to justify this.

Bicester Traffic Action Group co-chairman Sallie Wright said that the site still needs to be better utilised over the weekends to help tackle congestion into the town.

She said: "I think it is quite under-utilised, purely from seeing the traffic that still goes down to Bicester Village and into the town.

"The park and ride doesn't seem to have made much difference to the traffic at the weekend.

"I am not sure if we notice it more because of the roadworks at the moment and maybe this will improve once the second roundabout is finished."

"More needs to be done to better utilise the park and ride and get shoppers to park there.

"There are a lot of signs on the approach but unfortunately people are still driving past it and into Bicester Village or into Bicester."