A BUS company director has urged council bosses to consider radical measures to cut congestion after a ‘perfect storm’ created hold-ups in Oxford in the run-up to Christmas.

Shoppers driving to the Westgate Centre, travellers occupying park-and-ride sites and utility companies causing delays has clogged up the roads network, according to Phil Southall, managing director of Oxford Bus Company.

He is calling on the local authorities to take steps to reduce congestion, including better promotion of park-and-rides.

Mr Southall said: “It really is the perfect storm at the moment and bus passengers are facing severe delays.

“Travellers are reducing capacity at park-and-rides like Water Eaton, so drivers are heading to Seacourt and if that is full drivers are then tempted to drive into the city centre.”

Mr Southall urged the county council to consider introducing a workplace parking levy, congestion charging or additional bus gates.

He added: “I think the time has come for something radical - one or a combination of all three measures.”

Mr Southall said journey times for passengers have increased significantly - in 2012 the City5 took 72 minutes to get to Blackbird Leys and now the journey time is 88 minutes, an increase of about 20 per cent.

The managing director, also new president of Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “If people are visiting the city and the trip is not enjoyable because of congestion then they are less likely to come back to shop.”

County council spokesman Paul Smith said: “Proposals for a congestion charge, workplace parking levy and access restrictions are still being considered for Oxford.

“Options form part of a wider strategy to manage growth in traffic and improve accessibility to all parts of the city by bus, cycling and on foot.

“A joint county and city council member steering group has recently been established to consider options and plans for future engagement and consultation, details of which will be announced when they have been agreed.”

Mr Smith added that a roadworks ‘amnesty’ imposed on utility companies started yesterday and would run until January 7.

He said: “To keep things moving Oxfordshire County Council is introducing an embargo on all non-essential roadworks on the major routes in and out of the larger commercial centres so that Christmas traffic – be it cars, cycles, pedestrians or public transport - can flow more easily at this peak time. The embargo runs from Monday until January 7."

Mr Southall said Debenhams had not helped matters by offering to pay for two hours’ parking if customers spent £50 in store.

He added that while the Oxpens decked car park remained - it is supposed to be temporary - there were more car parking spaces than there used to be which encouraged people to drive in.

Last week drivers faced major delays on the northbound and southbound carriageways of the A34 and in the city centre as Thames Water work caused delays.

The company has been fixing water mains near the Kennington roundabout and the work is not expected to finish until tomorrow at the earliest.

Thames Water work to repair a burst water main in Botley Road last week also caused hold-ups.

Mr Southall said bus services from Abingdon and Didcot had been facing delays of about an hour.

He added that all parties, the councils, Westgate Centre owners and the bus companies needed to identify how park-and-ride could be better promoted in the five-week period leading up to Christmas.