Oxfordshire’s Labour County Councillors are calling for a fresh approach on transport with residents’ voices at its heart.
Oxfordshire County Council’s Labour Group Leader Cllr Liz Brighouse lives in the Headington area where she’s represented residents for over three decades, and sat in her fair share of Oxford traffic. She knows the scale of the congestion challenge first-hand, and is clear that residents’ views and experiences are crucial to fixing it. “Our diverse communities are the best thing about Oxford. We have to meet a wide range of needs to ensure everyone can thrive here. But the Lib Dem-Green County leaders have been stubbornly inflexible in the face of residents’ pleas to modify bollards and reject new bus gates.”
Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) have caused widespread controversy, with some bollards increasing journey times, affecting emergency services and carers, and hurting local businesses and tradespeople who rely on cars and vans. At the same time, key streets have been made safer for residents when walking, cycling or letting their kids out to play. Residents’ experiences across the city are very different.
Cllr Brighouse has listened carefully to local people. “Oxford residents are united in recognising that traffic is a major problem. But debates on what to do about it have turned neighbours against one another. There has to be a better way.”
Labour wants to bring everyone together by trusting local people to chart a path forward. Cllr Brighouse is clear: “Let’s not go back to old arguments. We must focus on what unites us, rather than what divides us.”
Last year, Labour forced the Lib Dem-Green County Administration to establish a Citizens’ Assembly on transport in Oxfordshire. The group will be representative of Oxfordshire residents, and will give local people a greater say in transport decisions.
Unlike the Lib Dems and Greens running the County Council, Labour are committed to listening to local people. Residents are very clear that things are not working. That’s why we are calling for a rethink, including giving residents more say on the future of their city.
As part of this reset, alongside the Citizens Assembly, Labour are calling for plans for new controversial traffic filters (bus gates) to be halted.
We believe the decision to install traffic filters in 2022 has timed out. Too much has changed as a result of Network Rail and Thames Water’s disastrous work on Botley Road. We also share concerns about the traffic filters over-complexity and potentially damaging impact on our schools and hospitals. The Council needs to work with residents to look at alternatives.
A fresh approach requires common sense and continued conversations on the future of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. In the first instance, that means removing the Crowell Road LTN as there is not public support for it, and exempting blue badge holders and carers. We will push for improvements to LTNs where local people support them.
The County Council needs to focus on making it easier for people to get around. This means improving public transport by bringing buses back under public control, like in Manchester and London. They need to speed up re-opening the Cowley and Witney railway lines to passengers. There also needs to be more investment in making walking and cycling safer and easier. This means fixing dangerous junctions, installing more segregated cycle lanes and improving crossings. With more options of how to get around, we can tackle congestion and begin to end Oxford’s traffic nightmare.
Cllr Brighouse continued: “We’re confident that a fresh approach will succeed where the Lib Dems and Greens have failed. That’s because we want residents’ voices and experiences to be at the heart of a new, commonsense approach to tackling congestion.”
If Labour is elected as the largest party on the County Council in May 2025, we will change the way decisions are made.
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NOTES FOR EDITORS:
Cllr Brighouse is available for interviews. Contact directly on: 07710 451 769
