MOTORISTS are set to fork out £1.1m a year to use Oxford City Council’s park-and-rides as security staff are removed to save cash.

The city could net an £82,900 surplus in the first year as it axes nine staff from Pear Tree, Seacourt and Redbridge park-and-rides.

Now there are fears commuters’ safety will be put at risk without a staff presence at the edge-of-town sites, which will get CCTV.

The city council introduced fees and axed staff after taking over the sites from the county council, which said it could no longer afford to run them.

City spokesman Louisa Dean said it had to “look at ways to substantially reduce costs” and patrols, CCTV and £10,500 electronic help points would boost security.

She said: “We understand the public’s concerns over crime at the sites, however, we have always experienced very low level crime in all our car parks across the city.”

The move comes as figures for the first two months of charging, obtained by the Oxford Mail, show the £1.50 fee brought in more cash than expected.

The council estimated it would get £974,000 in its first full year, the 12 months from April, putting it in the red as it faced costs of £1,040,000. But if November’s £93,575 takings prove typical it would make £1,122,900 – a surplus of £82,900. October’s takings were £92,139.

Colin Cook, executive board member for city development, said: “It is very difficult to extrapolate one month’s figures to an entire year’s. It would be far better to look to our position in six months.”

Redbridge user and research scientist Richard Darby said: “It is a nice little bit of profit for them. It is obscene.”

Police officer Ivan Brace, 52, said: “The less traffic or congestion you can create by having free parking must be a good thing.”

Tim Rowland, manager at the UK Bathroom Warehouse, next to the Redbridge site, said he had seen an increase in commuters cheekily using its 12 spaces.

He said: “We put some labels up saying ‘customer parking only’ but it doesn’t make any difference. We are probably going to have to put some barriers up.”

Witney nurse Claire McLaren, visiting Seacourt with her mother Anne Burville, said she was surprised to face a £1.50 charge on top of the cost of the bus. She said: “I would be more encouraged to use it if it was just one charge. I wasn’t too impressed.”

Opposition councillor Jean Fooks said: “Dark evenings at Pear Tree might not be very welcome to many, especially women on their own. The CCTV helps but I think a human presence is needed to give a real sense of security.”

Natalie Brook, spokesman for Oxford’s Reclaim the Night, which campaigns against sexual violence, said: “Surely the point of charging for the park-and-ride car parks is to provide a safe and accessible facility?.”

The county council’s Thornhill and Water Eaton park-and-rides still provide free parking. The county had security staff at Pear Tree and Redbridge from 7am to 11pm and 7am to 7pm at Seacourt Monday to Saturday, and at all sites on Sunday from 9am to 5pm.