University staff and students will be urged to leave their cars at home to help cut traffic congestion.

On Thursday, Oxford Brookes will launch a new Green Commuter Plan, designed to reduce traffic and pollution around the university.

The scheme is set to make life easier for many householders in Headington, who are forced to bear the brunt of traffic problems caused by the thousands of staff and students who travel to the university each day.

Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof John Glasson, said: "Brookes generates over 2,000 jobs in the region and an income to Oxfordshire of around £10m a year, but with some 1,800 staff and 14,500 students, the university also contributes to traffic congestion in the city. He added: "We are all affected by traffic problems travelling to and from work and we recognise the particular problems affecting local residents. This is why we have decided to work with staff, students, bus companies and other major employers in Headington to tackle the issue head on."

To encourage people to use other forms of transport, the university has already introduced a free bus services between its campuses at Headington and Wheatley, and from Redbridge Park and Ride to the Headington site.

It will also help fund two new public bus services - the number 12 linking north Oxford and Brookes, and the 10B service between Cowley, Brookes and the John Radcliffe Hospital.

Other initiatives already introduced include increasing the number of cycle racks, encouraging car-sharing, providing computer equipment to allow some staff to work from home, and cutting the number of parking permits by a third.

Story date: Monday 15 November

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.