Local Transport Plan - Emphasis Needs to be on Railways and Rural Areas

4.35.51pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Sep 2009

Speaking at today's Cabinet meeting Cllr Anne Purse, the Lib Dem Shadow Cabinet member for Growth & Infrastructure generally welcomed the plan being developed for transport in Oxfordshire until 2030. In particular she welcomed its emphasis on environmental issues and promoting cycling and walking.

She urged the Cabinet to give some emphasis to whatever the County Council can do to encourage the development of the railway network and new stations. Anne said, "As we said at the last Council meeting, we are very keen to develop the rail network - to take pressure off some Oxfordshire roads and provide a real choice for people. In the current Local Transport Plan there is a paragraph about developing railway links and I hope this will carry through to this new plan."

Anne particularly urged the County Council to take account of the impact of projected increases in traffic on rural roads. She said, "It is difficult to imagine transport in twenty years' time but traffic is set to increase on rural roads more than trunk roads - possibly because the trunk roads through Oxfordshire are already near capacity. I do hope that this can be taken into account in the plan, so that impacts on the environment and quality of life are minimised. This is another reason to actively pursue any public transport options, such as the Association of Train Operator Companies' (ATOC) report on re-opening rail links."