A BUS company boss says the city is still on course for traffic chaos when the Westgate Shopping Centre reopens – despite fresh plans to tackle concerns.

With time running out ahead of the centre's launch in October, Phil Southall said a series of changes to roads and junctions proposed across the city centre did not go far enough.

They have been put forward by Oxfordshire County Council after warnings the closure of Queen Street, due to safety concerns, will leave buses without turning points and worsen congestion.

The plans would change busy junctions on Worcester Street and create a new taxi rank in Cornmarket Street, as well as several bus waiting points on other roads.

It comes after months of talks to address the concerns and the council claims its plan 'strikes a good balance'.

But Oxford Bus Company chief Mr Southall warned: "Some of the suggested improvements are welcome, but we don't believe any credible scheme that deals with the permanent closure of Queen Street has been put forward so far.

"We are continuing to explore options."

The response of Stagecoach Oxfordshire to the plans was also muted. Company boss Martin Sutton has previously warned 'we are 'living in la-la land if we think there is an easy solution to removing buses from Queen Street".

And last night he said: "We are continuing to work with Oxfordshire County Council regarding the issues and challenges."

Formal plans to pedestrianise Queen Street were put forward last summer, after concerns that a massive increase in shoppers when the Westgate reopens would make it unsuitable for buses.

Because the thoroughfare is used by many buses to turn around, the county council had proposed a new turning circle outside Nuffield College – but the college effectively vetoed that plan last September.

It threw the plans into disarray, with a suggestion by transport bosses for buses to instead turn at Frideswide Square dismissed by operators as 'unsafe'.

Unveiling the latest solution, county council director for planning and place Susan Halliwell claimed the authority had listened to concerns.

The council said the changes meant buses could turn at The Plain, the Thames Street/St Aldate’s junction, the Hythe Bridge Street/Park End Street junction and at Oxford Railway Station. Ms Halliwell said

Ms Halliwell said: "Investment and growth in Oxford means more people coming to the city and using the roads. The things we are proposing are designed to improve capacity and safety.

"The opening of the new Westgate centre is a high-profile scheme that will attract people from around the world, and there are other things on the horizon such as the development of Oxpens and the train station that reflect the status of Oxford as a growing city.

"Making changes to safely accommodate extra visitors has been under discussion for a long time and we think what we are proposing strikes a good balance.

"We recognise the bus companies had concerns over what was included in the 2016 proposals and so we have made revisions taking into account what they said and we will remain in discussion with them throughout this process."

The planned closure of Queen Street, for an initial 18 months, would start in October but was 'experimental', she stressed.

The council boss added: "It would be a test of how it works in practice, and the opportunity for people to have a say extends for six months into its operation.

"We want people to look at the consultation information and give us their views."

The council's proposals include a new taxi rank on Cornmarket, a redesign of the George Street/Worcester Street junction, the removal of traffic lights on the Worcester Street/New Road junction and the Speedwell Street/St Aldate's junction, as well as new bus stops and layovers in Hythe Bridge Street, Park End Street, High Street, St Aldates, Butterwyke Place and Thames Street.

The consultation runs until June 23. To view the proposals visit: oxfordshire.gov.uk/consultation