ELECTRONIC signs telling drivers how many spaces are available in Oxford's city centre car parks are unlikely to be in place before the opening of the Westgate Centre, it has emerged.

The signs would encourage more people to use park-and-ride sites by highlighting when city centre sites are full.

The county council is working on a proposal for the new signs with the city council and the Westgate Oxford Alliance, which runs the Westgate Centre.

The £440m Westgate Centre is scheduled to reopen on October 24. Last year the county council's senior transport planner Robert Freshwater estimated the number of shopping trips could rise from five million a year to 16 million.

David Nimmo Smith, the county council's cabinet member for transport, said he did not think the electronic information signs would be in place before the opening of the new centre.

He said: "The system is unlikely to be in place before the Westgate Centre opens. There is quite a lot of technology involved.

"Certainly it's an aspiration, but frankly it's unrealistic to get it in place before the Westgate opens.

"Once it is in place it will certainly benefit the driving public to know what spaces are available, both in the city centre car parks and at the park-and-rides.

"We don't want drivers circling the city looking for spaces that may not be there."

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Paul Smith said firm details for the scheme and its overall cost were not yet available.

He added: "However we do now know that we’ve been awarded £350,000 of central Government money for this scheme."

City council leader Bob Price said proposals for introducing electronic parking signs had moved forward less rapidly than he had hoped.

He added: "We are very enthusiastic about it and have been pushing very hard to get it in place in time for the new Westgate Centre opening.

"This kind of system has been in place in cities across Europe for many years and it's very important. Drivers will be able to make a decision on whether to use the park-and-ride car parks or drive into the Westgate Centre car park.

"I think a system like this will be crucial - it's important to stop people hunting around for spaces."

Liberal Democrat city councillor Jean Fooks also called for the swift introduction of electronic parking signs.

She said: "You need to encourage drivers not to drive into the city centre and hope to find a parking space.

"These signs provide parking information for drivers which can be constantly updated."

Liberal Democrat county councillor John Howson said another possible way of cutting congestion once the new shopping centre opens would be for Oxford Westgate Alliance to fund a shuttle bus from Oxford railway station to the shopping centre.

He added: "If this was set up it would encourage more shoppers to use the train, and could increase footfall and reduce congestion."

The city council has allowed Oxford Westgate Alliance to set its own charges for the 1,000-space shopping centre car park but the charges have not yet been revealed.

Managers at the shopping centre have not commented on the electronic signs proposal or on the suggestion there should be a paid-for station shuttle bus for shoppers.