Air pollution must be monitored in a busy road in Headington, Oxford, to find out if schemes to cut traffic are working, say residents, traders and councillors.

The area has not been included in Oxford City Council's local air quality management assessment, which calls for more monitoring at Wolvercote, Cutteslowe and Green Road roundabouts, the Eastern Bypass and Oxford Road, Cowley.

The council's Oxford Airwatch scheme only has permanent air monitoring stations at St Aldate's, High Street and St Ebbe's in the city centre.

Headington city councillor Stephen Tall said: "We all know that Headington is getting more and more clogged up as the traffic generated by the hospitals increases.

"Air quality has a direct impact on the lives both of residents, and those who use the Headington shops.

"It is vital that the city council measures the levels of pollution, especially on London Road, which is often gridlocked at peak times.

"Until it is measured, we just don't know the size of the problem we are dealing with."

Mr Tall said the Headington and Marston Area Transport Strategy aimed to reduce cars.

He added: "If this happens - and it is a big if - then congestion and pollution should also be reduced."

Tony Joyce, chairman of the coordinating committee of the Headington residents' associations, said: "The council is required to look further out than the city centre, where there may be high levels of pollution, particularly where traffic has been displaced by the Oxford Transport Strategy."

Fergus Doyle, who runs the West of Java shop in London Road, said: "The buses seem to stop along here, blocking the road, and the traffic comes to a standstill, with vehicles churning out their fumes."

Roger Pitman, city council environmental health officer, said London Road could be included in future, but monitoring depended on council resources.