MOVES to ease Worcester's congestion by allowing taxis to use bus lanes is a step closer - after councillors backed an investigation into it.

All three of Worcester City Council's political parties - the Conservatives, Labour and lone Green - have united to suggest a review launches over the implications.

The move, which originated after concern too many people are paying high cab fares due to congestion, will now be voted on by Worcestershire County Council tomorrow.

The bid would bring Worcester, where congestion has long been a serious public concern, into line with cities including Oxford, London, Birmingham, Bristol and Reading where taxis do share bus space.

Back in January, bosses decided to start enforcing restrictions in Lowesmoor so only buses and emergency vehicles can use it to directly reach Foregate Street.

And on top of that, in recent years more roads across the county have opened up bus-only routes, but only Redditch currently allows buses and taxis to share those spaces.

Labour Councillor Paul Denham, who is behind the idea to explore the change, had a motion voted through unanimously by the city council last night.

He said: "I accept Worcester often likes to do things differently to other places, and this can sometimes be an advantage but I cannot see any benefit by continuing to ban taxis from using bus lanes.

"It makes no sense to force them to use more congested road space, adding to congestion themselves and slowing them down, when there is an empty bus lane available.

"This pushes up fares charged to taxi users as well as reducing the productivity of taxis."

His rallying call was backed by all sides of the council, with Conservative leader Councillor Simon Geraghty calling it "very sensible".

"I agree there's a mixed picture across the UK when it comes to bus lanes," he said.

"I've no issue with a review, it'll prove to our citizens that we are doing all we can to try and tackle congestion."

Councillor Pat Agar, a former city mayor, used the debate to criticise poor bus services, comparing it to "Swiss cheese" because of the "holes", insisting a review cannot wait.

"Taxi drivers are struggling now, people are paying congestion-inflated fares now," she said.

The Lowesmoor crackdown stops motorists from using the route to access the city centre without turning left at the junction with Silver Street first, a policy which pushed up some cab fares due to the detour.

If the county council, which is responsible for roads, accepts the need for a city-wide review tomorrow it will need agreement from a majority of its 57 members.

The full council meets from 10am at County Hall.