CALLS are being made to encourage more motorbikes in Worcester to ease the city's congestion.

Worcester City Council has been challenged to think outside the box in responding to the jams by promoting motorcycling and offering more places for them to park.

The suggestion, made in the middle of an ongoing review about congestion, has come from Worcester resident Kym Humphries, a biker.

Mr Humphries turned up at a meeting of the city council's scrutiny committee on Wednesday evening to talk over his concerns.

He says too much emphases has been put on cycling, which is led by Worcestershire County Council, the highways authority, without addressing bikers.

Worcester only has three dedicated parking areas for bikers, with those who try and dump them at random locations risking a fine.

Mr Humphries said: "Without the parking issue for motorcyclists sorted, there really isn't any point looking at the other issues.

"There is much more space allocated to cyclists, and people on motorbikes who aren't really creating much of a hazard for people are getting tickets.

"If you're looking into integrated transport and congestion, you've got to look at motorcyclists."

He was told by committee members that he should take it up with the county council, but it will also be fed into the city review.

Councillor Joy Squires, scrutiny committee chairman, said: "We'll make sure the congestion review group takes that as part of their deliberations."

It came as the team of councillors behind the review decided to split three separate pieces of work on congestion into one.

The three main topics are behavioural change - in other words people's transport habits around the city and what can be done to alter it; best practise - basically what sensible congestion-busting ideas can be taken from other towns and cities; and what is the potential for more cycling and walking.

All three areas will now be rolled into one investigation, and talks are planned between the city and county councils with a view to making firm recommendations by November.

Labour Councillor Geoff Williams said: "I just urge that we push on with this, because we've been on it for some time - we need to keep the momentum going."

In June a 12-page summary was published detailing some feedback on congestion so far, with third parties suggesting everything from reducing the number of parking spaces and congestion charging to red routes, upping parking prices and better bus services.

Labour Councillor Adrian Gregson, a former city council leader, has also now joined the review team, working alongside Geoff Williams and Conservatives Derek Prodger and Steve Mackay.