DRIVERS face another day of long delays coming into Oxford today as thousands of prospective students are expected to visit the city.

It comes after traffic along the Botley Road was at a standstill late yesterday morning with more than 7,000 people heading to Oxford University for the first of its open days.

Bus companies and university staff are urging visitors to consider using public transport, with Oxford Bus Company putting on extra park-and-ride services on the 300 and 500 routes.

Prospective students have been told if they arrive in Oxford by train or by a park-and-ride site, they will be greeted by a staff member or student volunteer wearing a blue university T-shirt.

The Venturefest showcase for hi-tech entrepreneurship, held yesterday at the King's Centre in Osney Mead, also added to the Botley Road congestion.

Helen Charlesworth, head of communications in the undergraduate admissions and outreach team at Oxford University, said: "It’s particularly important that students from as wide a range of backgrounds and schools as possible get a chance to see life at Oxford up close, to see what it’s really like."

All colleges and departments are putting on events, along with the university’s museums, libraries and other facilities.

An Oxford Bus Company spokeswoman said the company would also be running additional park-and-ride services for the second open day today.