Cyclists' safety around The Plain and Frideswide Square areas of Oxford have been made the key planks of a multi-million pound bid to improve the city's cycling network.

Oxfordshire County Council and the cycling pressure group Cyclox are asking Cycling England, the agency tasked by the Government to promote cycling, for between £2m and £4m to try to become one of 11 places deemed to have 'cycling demonstration' status.

Gaps in the current cycling set-up would be filled and improvements made to sections with bad accident records or which cyclists have complained about.

These would include The Plain roundabout and its approach roads in the east, and the Botley Road/ Frideswide Square area.

If secured, the money would also boost plans to create a cycle hire network in the city, similar to those on the continent.

Cyclox chairman James Styring said: "From the cyclists point of view, this could unlock some of the barriers to cycling in Oxford and reduce cong- estion.

"The network is quite decent in many places, but it's useless if at key points it's blocked.

"It's a bit like having a motorway that degenerates into a bridleway at certain points and then becomes a motorway again."

He said safety fears about crossing The Plain and cycling under the railway bridge on Botley Road put many people off cycling altogether.

The bid would also pay for extended cycle parking, signage and promotional work to develop a cycling brand to encourage people to cycle.

The bid is supported by both universities, the NHS, rail operators First Great Western and the national cycle route organisation Sustrans.

The first round of successful towns and cities will be announced in the summer followed by the second round in the autumn.

Ian Hudspeth, county council cabinet member for transport, said: "Oxford already has a well established history of cycling and bikes are a more common sight here than in many other towns and cities.

"Nevertheless, we recognise that more needs to be done to improve the safety and convenience of what is perhaps the healthiest and most environmentally friendly form of transport.

"If our bid for extra funding is successful, this will enable us to address gaps and other safety issues. With practical measures like this, we aim to put Oxford on the map as one of Britain's premier cycling cities."

There are already five cycling demonstration towns, including Aylesbury, which have won funding from Cycling England.