Up to £70,000 of quick fixes to Abingdon's controversial traffic system will be introduced in the next month in a bid to get the town moving.

Since 2006 motorists have had to put up with queues in the town centre following the introduction of the £3.1m Abingdon Integrated Traffic Strategy (Abits).

Oxfordshire County Council last month admitted minor adjustments were needed to the system, although it said it was working largely as intended.

The council commissioned consultants TRL to look into the traffic light system and it came up with a series of suggestions.

Members of the Abits working party yesterday agreed to implement all but one of the recommendations in the TRL report.

They will make minor changes to the signals at the Stratton Way, The Vineyard and Stert Street junction.

Ian Hudspeth, county councillor for transport, said: "The recommendations put forward today can be implemented without major spending.

"The main thing is it is actually moving forward."

The members will meet again on Wednesday, July 23, to discuss businessman Steve King's independent report.

Mr King said: "I don't see the point in carrying out temporary tweaks, it's just another waste of taxpayers' money.

"If they are going to have a review of the system then surely the logical thing would be to not to do anything until my report has been digested."

Other changes will be to the Stratton Way and Ock Street signals, so that the straight ahead filter from High Street no longer runs in parallel with Ock Street, and to separate left and right turning vehicles in Abbey Close.

This could take a month.

Mr Hudspeth estimated the alterations would cost between £50,000 and £70,000 to implement.

Members decided to leave the pedestrian crossing in High Street as it was.

Another idea that will be looked into by county council officers is to introduce peak time loading bans in the centre of Abingdon.

The second report by Traffic Solutions recommended a major overhaul of the whole traffic light system.

Its last ditch solution was to scrap Abits completely.