Transform Oxford?

Written by Cllr Roz Smith - Transport spokesperson, Oxfordshire County Lib Dems - and Cllr David Rundle - Leader, Oxford City Lib Dems on Sun 5th Oct 2008

So the Conservatives are planning to 'Transform Oxford', but at what cost environmentally and financially? The plans look as if they were worked out on the back of an envelope!

Yes to the long planned and awaited pedestrianisation and removal of buses in Queen Street. Yes to more high quality paving and smarter bus ticketing. But no to the proposals that appear to cut our City in two. Passengers travelling into the City from the East must not be forced to change buses at the Plain.

People wanting to travel through the city from north to east and east to north will have an even more inconvenient and difficult journey than at present. Plans to 'transform' Oxford will fail if they cannot put this right.

Another worry are the rumours that pedestrianising the area between Broad and High Streets will mean no cycling in those streets. The more we hear of these proposals, the more it sounds less pro-pedestrian that anti-bus and anti-cyclist.

We are promised 'consultation' but look what good that did Oxford when the views on changing for Residents' Parking were ignored. This time, let's hope the Tories grow up enough to have the humility to listen and learn from the people of Oxford who they too often ignore. And let's not waste the people's time with thinking which, frankly, should never have been thought in the first place.