Bus passengers have been urged to quiz transport bosses about ambitious plans to pedestrianise more of Oxford city centre.

Pressure group Bus Users UK has organised a forum for passengers to learn more about the way their journeys will be affected under the Transform Oxford scheme.

Oxfordshire County Council’s initiative will see vehicles removed from large swathes of the city centre from 2011.

But the council has already scrapped one proposal — to make passengers change services at a new bus terminus near Magdalen Bridge — in the face of widespread opposition.

Campaigners feared East Oxford would be cut off from the rest of the city if buses stopped at The Plain.

Cutteslowe resident Hugh Jaeger, Bus Users UK’s Oxford representative, encouraged anyone interested in the future of Oxford’s bus services to attend the forum and have their say.

Mr Jaeger said: “Transform Oxford could profoundly affect the way people in Oxford travel to work, school, hospitals and shops.

“County council representatives will be at the forum to explain how they are developing the scheme and to answer people’s concerns.

“The forum is an opportunity for passengers to ask about service reliability and frequency, say where they think there are gaps in the bus network, where bus information or ticketing could be improved, or speak up if they have concerns about pollution.”

Mr Jaeger also thanked the county council for picking up the £291 bill for hiring the Assembly Room at the Town Hall in St Aldate’s after the city council declined to let the room at a discounted rate.

Ian Hudspeth, the county council’s cabinet member for transport, and senior managers from Stagecoach, Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and RH Transport, are all expected to attend the forum, which takes place at 6pm on Wednesday, March 11.

Mr Hudspeth said: “I will be addressing any concerns they have and emphasising we are talking about a vision to improve the quality of the city centre of Oxford, while at the same time not discriminating against any particular groups.”

Transform Oxford aims to boost air quality and access to shops in the city.

In the summer, all bus stops in Queen Street will be removed to reduce bus flows.

George Street and Magdalen Street will be pedestrianised the following year, while further pedestrianisation is planned for Broad Street.

In 2011, Frideswide Square will be completely redesigned to “create a stunning public space and gateway to the city centre from the west”.

The second stage of the project will see bus flows in High Street and St Aldate's reduced and the completion of the pedestrianisation of Queen Street.

tshepherd@oxfordmail.co.uk