BUS tunnels under the streets of Oxford would be better serving the John Radcliffe Hospital rather than the city centre, it has been claimed.

At a meeting of Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet yesterday, Liberal Democrat councillor Roz Smith said the plans for the underground bus routes, which the county council last year suggested could run from The Plain to Oxford Station or from St Giles to St Aldate’s, would be better following a different route.

She said: “We feel that the evidence for a bus transit tunnel would be strongest between the Eastern Bypass and the John Radcliffe Hospital rather than the city centre.

“But we believe that such a proposal would be far too costly unless a major funding source can be identified.”

Ms Smith made the comments as the cabinet approved the Local Transport Plan, a blueprint for how transport will be organised in the county until 2040.

If backed by full council in September the county council will then use it as a basis to bid for Government money.

When the bus tunnel plans were first proposed in October, county council leader Ian Hudspeth said one running through the city centre would allow High Street to be fully pedestrianised.