ONE of Oxford's biggest employers and causes of traffic issues in the city has called for more details about a transport improvement plan due to be funded in part through a ‘levy’ on workplace parking spaces.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said it 'welcomed' Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council’s ‘Connecting Oxford’ proposals to reduce congestion and improve journey times into and around the city – but highlighted issues.

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Jason Dorsett, Chief Finance Officer and Executive lead for travel and transport at OUH, said: "In our response to the initial proposals, we have stressed that we need to see much more detail as to how the councils will ensure that our staff using public transport will benefit from shorter journey times, no increase in travel costs, and bus timetables that are more frequent than at present and that are aligned to their shift patterns.

Oxford Mail:

"We also believe that there will remain a significant number of staff who will need to drive to work, for example due to caring responsibilities which require complex journeys or shift patterns which mean public transport is not a viable option.”

He said as the largest single employer which would be affected the trust submitted a detailed response to a recent consultation but wanted the chance to fully consult staff.

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He added: “We welcome the councils’ joint efforts to tackle the chronic and worsening traffic congestion in Oxford which affects air quality, our patients and staff, and contributes to unsustainable CO2 emissions.

"We agree that doing nothing is not an option and that the ‘Connecting Oxford’ proposals may represent a positive way forward."