TRANSPORT campaigners are warning a new Eynsham park and ride will be pointless unless council bosses ensure buses are not hampered by A40 traffic.

The Witney Oxford Transport Group said it was concerned plans for a new eastbound bus lane would still be affected by ‘pinch points’ along the congested road.

It also called for guarantees the scheme would not prevent a railway between the town and city being reinstated.

The comments come as Oxfordshire County Council today launches a five-week consultation on the £38m plan.

The local authority said the 1000-space park and ride would attract more people to catch the bus and cut congestion on the A40.

But Maurizio Fantato, spokesman for the Witney Oxford Transport Group, said buses could still be delayed because a proposed lane would end at Duke’s Cut canal bridge, before it reaches Wolvercote.

He added: “While we certainly welcome any proposals to improve traffic flows, it may not make much difference if the pinch points are still there in the network.

“The devil is in the detail. Its success will depend on whether it can really ensure a quick and reliable service.

“If people on the bus get stuck in traffic jams anyway, then it won’t be used.

“It is also very important it does not affect plans to bring a railway back.”

The new designs unveiled by the council show the new park and ride would be built just west of Cuckoo Lane.

It would be served by a four-mile eastbound bus lane to the Duke’s Cut canal bridge, with another short stretch and bus gate also located just west of the site.

A county council spokesman said: “The biggest impact to journey time reliability is variations in queues lengths.

“So public transport users have predictable journey arrival times, the design for the A40 bus lane seeks to provide interventions that enable bus passengers to minimise their time in queues.

“This reliability is critical to operators who need to commence their service on time.”

To view the consultation, visit: consultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk/consult.ti/A40BusLane_ParkandRide