THE decision to allow the controversial removal of bus stops from Oxford’s Queen Street has angered bus users and disabled passengers.

The £985,000 scheme was ‘called in’ by 11 Liberal Democrat county councillors who were concerned the plans would increase congestion and traffic pollution in St Aldate’s.

But they lost a vote in the council’s environment and economy scrutiny committee – which upset representives of Bus Users UK and the Oxford City Access Forum.

Both claim the scheme would deter passengers from travelling into the city centre.

But because their concerns were not one of the four reasons given for the call-in, they were told their views would be listened to but could not have any influence.

Gwynneth Pedler, chairman of the Oxford City Access Forum, said relocating bus stops to St Aldate’s and Castle Street would leave people on crutches or in wheelchairs with a difficult uphill walks into the centre – deterring many from making the trips.

She also criticised uneven paving in St Aldate’s which she said made getting up the street “impossible”.

Mrs Pedler said: “I am not against change but I am against change that disadvantages and discriminates against disabled people.

“To be sure that the scheme doesn’t have a detrimental impact on disabled people the council needs to look very carefully at what their proposals are going to do.”

Hugh Jaeger, of Bus Users UK, added: “This will be discriminatory against disabled people and it will be a deterrent against the able-bodied using the city centre of Oxford so much.

“They will take their trade out of the centre of Oxford.

“Opposition councillors slipped up on the way they phrased the call-in. They were right to do it but the effect on the disabled should have been one of the reasons.”

Conservative councillor Charles Mathew said: “The four points raised by the call-in clearly have been very thoroughly researched.

“A call-in, as I understand it, requires evidence that the process hasn’t been sufficiently robust.

“This does not meet the needs of everyone – it couldn’t possibly – but it does meet the need of the greater majority.”

After the meeting on Tuesday, Roz Smith, shadow cabinet member for transport, said: “Many people and organisations are concerned about moving the bus stops out of Queen Street, and they do not feel listened to by the Conservative administration at County Hall.

“The only real way to avoid increased congestion on St Aldate’s is to reduce the number of buses in total – and this is only possible when the Bus Quality Partnership is fully operating. At the moment, it is only just starting.”

Ian Husdpeth, the council’s cabinet member for transport, said: “All of this had already been taken into consideration, I don’t think it was necessary to have this call-in.”

He added that St Aldate’s would be repaved in sections to improve the quality of the surface.