BUSES serving the centre of Oxford will use new stops from Sunday, July 19, as part of the scheme to make Queen Street more pedestrian-friendly.

Oxfordshire County Council has now released details of where Queen Street bus stops will move to, and the services that will be affected.

But it warned there could be confusion for the first few days as passengers come to terms with the changes.

Stops will switch to St Aldate’s, Castle Street, New Road and High Street in the first phase of the council’s Transform Oxford scheme, which will eventually lead to the pedestrianisation of much of the city centre.

Critics of the plan have claimed that pavements in St Aldate’s are not wide enough cope with queuing passengers and passing pedestrians, forcing people into the road.

But County Hall said the stops would have new or improved bus shelters to ease any problems.

The council expects the bus stop switch will cut the number of buses travelling through Queen Street by a third.

But the busy shopping street will not be fully pedestrianised until 2011, in a later phase of the scheme.

A new zebra crossing will be installed next week across New Road, at the junction with Castle Street, to help passengers reach some of the new bus stops, replacing the current crossing closer to the main entrance to County Hall.

The footpath is also being widened in New Road, between Castle Street and County Hall, to help cope with the extra people passing along it.

County councillor Ian Hudspeth, the cabinet member for growth and infrastructure, said: “Many people have looked for years to the reduction or removal of buses from Queen Street.

“This first phase of Transform Oxford makes significant progress in that direction.

“It must be understood that any changes always present difficulties and challenges and undoubtedly in the first few days there will be issues to be ironed out as we go along.

“We’re ready to provide assistance to bus users and others.

“It’s important they understand why we’re making these changes, as much as where their new bus stops will be.”

Shoppers will also have to put up with months of work in Queen Street, stretching into the autumn, with a new road surface laid and wider pavements provided.

The county council’s Liberal Democrat group had the plan to move bus stops out of Queen Street re-examined, fearing it would increase congestion in St Aldate’s and the High Street, while worsening air quality in the city centre.

Bus companies also opposed the plan, arguing Queen Street should have been pedestrianised in one go.

For full details of the changes to bus stops, see oxfordshire.gov.uk/ transformbusstops