barkerwilliams Posted December 16, 2022 Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/23172222.traffic-filters-will-divide-city-six-15-minute-neighbourhoods-agrees-highways-councillor/ https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23073992.traffic-filters-will-divide-city-15-minute-neighbourhoods/ Wow, I had not heard of this until today, seems to be more of a Chinese type regulation than the UK. If this is the start of a draconian roll out over the rest of the country then I won't be a happy bunny. Alan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted December 16, 2022 Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 Oxford city centre has had numerous traffic calming ideas. The best thing is to stay away or take the bus. Even the 70mph North Ring road is now down to 50mph due to house building. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted December 16, 2022 Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 (edited) Canterbury wants to do it as well. This is another harebrained scheme from the hard-of-thinking, called the "15 minute city". It might work if you are building a new city from scratch but trying to strap it onto an existing one is crazy. Of course the left-leaning and car hating council has stated they WILL impose it without any consultation or plebiscite and despite any opposition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15-minute_city The idea is you aren't allowed to drive through the middle or sideways from segment to segment, so to get from one '15 minute' division to another you have to exit the city, go round the ring-road and re-enter thus bunging up the ring-road with unnecessary traffic and making people drive much longer distances than needed. Basically it means the cities will die and everyone will do their shopping in the out-of-town centres where there are fewer restrictions. The whole thing will require a vast network of surveillance cameras and probably road blocks separating the areas. Welcome to the brave new world of total control over movement. Edited December 16, 2022 by RobH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Cobbold Posted December 16, 2022 Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 Oxford, City of Screaming Tyres........ is no more.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted December 16, 2022 Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 So they don't want tourist income any more? Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Misfit Posted December 16, 2022 Report Share Posted December 16, 2022 3 hours ago, RogerH said: The best thing is to stay away Absolutely (tick) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MilesA Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 14 hours ago, RobH said: Canterbury wants to do it as well. This is another harebrained scheme from the hard-of-thinking, called the "15 minute city". It might work if you are building a new city from scratch but trying to strap it onto an existing one is crazy. Of course the left-leaning and car hating council has stated they WILL impose it without any consultation or plebiscite and despite any opposition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15-minute_city The idea is you aren't allowed to drive through the middle or sideways from segment to segment, so to get from one '15 minute' division to another you have to exit the city, go round the ring-road and re-enter thus bunging up the ring-road with unnecessary traffic and making people drive much longer distances than needed. Basically it means the cities will die and everyone will do their shopping in the out-of-town centres where there are fewer restrictions. The whole thing will require a vast network of surveillance cameras and probably road blocks separating the areas. Welcome to the brave new world of total control over movement. What is being proposed by Canterbury has been imposed in areas of north London by the car hating / money scavenging Councils of Haringey, Camden and Barnet. They are called LTNs (Local Traffic Networks). Blocks of roads so designated cannot be driven through (or in some instances even accessed unless you are a resident). The theory is that they reduce traffic and hence pollution in these areas. The practice is that: traffic becomes concentrated in adjacent roads resulting in materially increased traffic, increased pollution on those roads, extended journey times for local residents inside and close to the LTNs, increased congestion, tailbacks that never previously existed in some area of up to a mile (which is extraordinary in a built up area) and of course greater expenditure (cameras and signs), and greater income from the unwary for the Council. Local businesses have seen material reductions in business and a hollowing out of local retail facilities and the quality of the communities has started. The LTNs are generally hated and have resulted in public demonstrations and marches but inevitably refusal by Council members to meet with protesters or have any regard for their arguments The Councils are driven by ideology rather than evidence and their tactics and responses to the objectors are straight out of the Stalinist playbook. If it wasn’t so depressing it would be humorous to see how they behave. Much the same could be said for the pandemic implementation of the largely deserted cycle lanes around these boroughs which also cause delay, pollution and frustration. The publicly stated view of some of the local hard core anti car lobby is that all of this pain for motorists and detriment to them, their lifestyle as well as adverse consequences for bus services, fire services ambulances, police and local business and the quality of the communities is essential to change mindsets in pursuit of the anti car ideology. Again, an approach that Stalin would have been familiar with. The most recent evidence of Council ideology dictating behaviour is the failure to grit many roads in the area contrary to historical norms, no doubt to keep us out of our cars. The irony is that they have also failed to grit the pavements where they are seeking to drive us all! Having said that, there does need to be action taken to manage vehicular traffic in many of our towns that were never established before vehicle but imposition of failed mechanisms is not the way forward. Rant over. Miles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianc Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 Many of the smaller businesses in Oxford are facing ruin from a combination of the imposition of these traffic measures and the economic situation. We buy the Oxford Crimes (sorry, Times) each Thursday, see a growing volume of discontent and wonder when the current councillors might get overthrown. Oxford is fortunate in having good Park & Ride facilities, and we can dump a car on the east at Thornhill along the A40, just before the ring road, and catch the bus to the centre (free after 09:30 with our bus passes). Or, as we live in Thame on the 280 bus route, we can cross the road to the bus stop and avoid use of the car altogether. The current situation with strikes on the rail network and Christmas shopping seems to have markedly increased road traffic, so we are avoiding non-essential travel. Even with the compacted and frozen snow on the pavements, I can walk to the centre of Thame, load back-pack and bags, then catch the bus home if I don't fancy the return walk. Ian Cornish Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JohnG Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 Gents Oxford has a history of anti car sentiment and actions . . .just look at it's history. When we left Oxford for the Far East (Chelmsford), back in 1982, parking at the then new, Westgate carpark, was £2.60 for the first hour; that's between £8.00 & £16.50 today (depending upon how you want to cut it). Counsellors ignored the population then and they ignore the population now At the time, the most expensive city parking outside London. Oxford is nothing if not consistent. Move the pollution from area A, increasing pollution in Area's B, C and D . . . . . . .it's a win-win. Win; Area A is cleaner Win; Oxford City Council gain financially as a result of fines resulting Welcome to the future Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rcreweread Posted December 17, 2022 Report Share Posted December 17, 2022 Isn't this the same authority which has banned or is proposing to ban any food served in all it's establishments if it isn't vegan. Cows farting are obviously killing the planet, whereas human vegetarians/vegans doing the same are apparently not - unless they are capturing their farts and using them to run their gas fired boilers - oh sorry, I forgot, gas fired boilers are going to be banned! The solution is for those people and businesses who don't like it to leave the area, vote with their feet, and let it become a bankrupt communist ghetto but is it any surprise that, like Cambridge, it is a world renowned University city bringing up our young to be vitriolic capitalist hating morons, many of whom are no doubt Putin's spies - as a country, we are now fooked - god help us Happy Christmas everyone (I'm not a believer in political hypocrisy , envy and jealousy) Cheers Rich Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-64001776 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 Interesting - and looks as though someone ( in the Beeb ? ) is trying to slide the discussion towards "deniers" and anti-vaxers, thus linking valid opposition to the fringes, so it can be dismissed more easily. Oxford is naturally split into separate areas by rivers and a golf course and there are few bridges and linking roads between those areas. It is easy to set up a choke points to limit cross-city movement, without having to block off lots of back-street 'rat-runs'. By applying for a permit, (available to residents only - not clear if they will charge) you will be permitted to cross the traffic filters, which separate the zones, up to 100 times per year (i.e. not quite once a week for a there-and-back journey) but beyond that there will be a fine. https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/roads-and-transport/connecting-oxfordshire/traffic-filters In addition there is a zero-emissions zone in the city centre. Everyone pays to go through that except electric vehicles. Note also that this is only the first phase and that the scheme could be extended if deemed to be 'successful'. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 I wonder how they'll measure "success"? Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Misfit Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 On 12/17/2022 at 2:19 PM, rcreweread said: Isn't this the same authority which has banned or is proposing to ban any food served in all it's establishments if it isn't vegan. Cows farting are obviously killing the planet, whereas human vegetarians/vegans doing the same are apparently not - unless they are capturing their farts and using them to run their gas fired boilers - oh sorry, I forgot, gas fired boilers are going to be banned! The solution is for those people and businesses who don't like it to leave the area, vote with their feet, and let it become a bankrupt communist ghetto but is it any surprise that, like Cambridge, it is a world renowned University city bringing up our young to be vitriolic capitalist hating morons, many of whom are no doubt Putin's spies - as a country, we are now fooked - god help us Happy Christmas everyone (I'm not a believer in political hypocrisy , envy and jealousy) Cheers Rich Has China bought Oxford? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hamish Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 6 minutes ago, Misfit said: Has China bought Oxford? Probably - have you ever had the misfortune to visit Bicester outlet just up the road ??!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crawfie Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 23 minutes ago, Hamish said: Probably - have you ever had the misfortune to visit Bicester outlet just up the road ??!!! God yes ….. Hellhole of a place . Strangely the wife and daughter loved it !! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 Before Covid I used to enjoy watching the coachloads of Chinese tourists leaving Bicester outlet village loaded down with bags of 'designer' clothes that were mostly made in China. My wife and I go there occasionally (on the way to somewhere better) to laugh at the brand victims. Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Misfit Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 54 minutes ago, Hamish said: Probably - have you ever had the misfortune to visit Bicester outlet just up the road ??!!! Just the once. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PodOne Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 As said above don't visit tell all your family and friends not to visit. The locals should organise a mass "drive where you like protest" for week and then all refuse to pay. Find out where said councillors all live and stand outside their houses and wait for them to come out and ask them a few searching questions and keep following them around in relays just like they are doing watching folks cars with the cameras. Or is the right to walk where you like. What next perhaps a slot on your neck to put the coins in when your oxygen has run out. People need to wake up protest and mount a cloud funded legal challenge as the right to freedom of movement I feel is being gradually and quietly eroded and not allow these councils to restrict it while hiding under the pretence of democracy. Millions of people have died to maintain your freedoms in the UK and Europe. Or are we now living in a police state? Same with the majority of these schemes which are nothing more than a stealth taxes which they then promptly waste usually on minority issues while the usual average motorist takes the hit again often while having the green agenda thrown at them. Gets my goat that you can't visit and see your own heritage without some idiots causing unnecessary hassle by total nimbi's and elitist morons who no doubt travel by air on holiday or drive up to Scotland and down to the South of France. Maybe they should try a zig zag route and see how far they get. Or better still practice what they preach to others and stay at home and have a walking holiday within the confines of the Oxford gulag. How's driving out 5 miles and then back 5 miles, when driving one mile across would be greener for the planet. Above all don't vote for the a......s and elect someone with some common sense and watch out for any loons looking for election in your local areas and hold them to account. I bet the local business community are overjoyed this Xmas. They will ultimately vote with their feet in the long run I know I would. Nothing like making peoples lives harder. However again if there were less people I suspect we wouldn't now have these issues. Andy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Motorsport Mickey Posted December 18, 2022 Report Share Posted December 18, 2022 If I lived in Oxford I should organise a couple of dozen friends and scribble a few banners with Stop the Filters and carry out a circular protest walk at 8am in the morning and 5pm every night. Positioned around the circular system and aimed at each of the filter areas, just keep moving and the police will let you be, they not being allowed to stop protests even though you'll slow traffic to 2-3 mph (that may be an improvement) or they'll even join in singing Cwmbyaa to keep your spirits up. About 2 weeks I think before the council gets pi55ed with complaining commuters who then will have an experience like what it will be if they get to implement it. Mick Richards Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted December 19, 2022 Report Share Posted December 19, 2022 Naa, just glue yourself to the road Mick. I'm not sure which road though... Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
barkerwilliams Posted December 20, 2022 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2022 How do I stop Oxfod residents driving past my house for free if they don't want me to drive past their houses? Quid pro quo anyone? Alan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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