MOVES to win new local powers to reduce open-top tour bus journeys in historic cities are to be backed by Oxford Greens.

Older tour buses have been among the worst polluters in Oxford and seen to repeatedly crawl through the city centre almost empty, in order to keep to agreed timetables.

To improve air quality, Oxford Greens say the number of bus journeys could be greatly reduced if tour companies were allowed to offer more flexible services.

And it is supporting Bath and North East Somerset council, which is applying to the Government for powers to reduce unnecessary journeys.

City council Green group leader, Craig Simmons, said: "Primary legislation is needed so we can treat these tour buses differently from ordinary bus routes "Existing regulations mean they have to run scheduled routes. We would like to see greater flexibility, so open-top buses need not travel around the city centre nearly empty."

Mr Simmons said the city's air quality working group had found that tour buses were "the worst on the streets" in terms of emissions.

He warned that some sightseeing buses could find themselves barred from parts of the city in any case, if plans went ahead to create a low-emission zone in the city centre.

But in Oxford, tour buses have seen nothing like the opposition that companies have faced in Bath, were residents have protests against fumes and intrusive commentary.

Paul Tappin, managing director of Guide Friday Sightseeing Oxford, said: "Oxford has never had the situation that they had in Bath where five companies were battling for business."

He said only one tour bus company operated in Oxford, and the company had already started investing in new £170,000 buses with low-emission engines.

But he supported calls for changes to the licensing system which obliged companies to maintain regular services regardless of weather and the numbers of customers. The company has to run a service every ten minutes and operates six buses during weekdays.