A leading county councillor has confirmed that the ruling Conservative group will stick to its election pledge and introduce free street parking in Oxford.

The scheme will be piloted from the autumn, with the £1 or £1.50 fee being waived and motorists allowed free street parking in the evenings and on Sundays.

The Tories won a majority in the county council elections in May and one of the group's manifesto pledges was to introduce free parking in about 600 spaces in the city centre after 6pm from Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday.

They have also promised to waive the 60p parking charge at the park-and-rides at Water Eaton, near Kidlington, and Thornhill at Headington.

The 60p charge will remain at the Seacourt, Redbridge and Peartree park-and-rides, which are run by the city council.

David Robertson, the county council's executive member for transport, said the park-and-ride changes would come in the next two months. He added: "Oxford is not just a historic monument -- I want it to be a thriving, interesting place with a real buzz and that is why we are bringing in these changes.

"On-street parking charges were designed to deter commuters, and this isn't necessary in the evening and on Sundays."

It is estimated that the scrapping of evening and Sunday street parking charges will cost the council £1,000 a day in revenue.

But the county council's parking account has been running a surplus of about £1m a year.

This money has been invested in new facilities such as the Water Eaton park-and-ride, and Mr Robertson said the change in policy would not cost the taxpayer.

He added that Control Plus parking attendants would continue to patrol during evenings and on Sundays, but would not step up their patrols during the day.

He said: "They will make sure drivers aren't parking on yellow lines and are parking in the right bays, but they won't increase their activities in the daytime."

Bill Baker, the city council's deputy leader, said: "The county council has got more money than us and we have to be very careful about losing revenue because it could lead to us having to cut services."

While drivers are looking forward to free parking in the streets and at two park-and-ride car parks, they face a 15 per cent increase in charges at city centre car parks from July.

The price rises, which affect the Westgate, Worcester Street, Oxpens, Abbey Place and Gloucester Green car parks, will bring in about £536,000 a year.

Graham Jones, a spokesman for traders' group Rescue Oxford, said the organisation had been pushing for free parking in the evenings and Sundays for a long time.

"We welcome the county council's bid to reinvigorate the cultural life of Oxford, so that everyone can enjoy it, not just the young people.

"The move could also boost congregations in city centre churches."

He said the group would continue to push for 10 free spaces in Broad Street, near the tourist information centre, to help tourists and shoppers.