Bus company welcomes plan to tackle city traffic

A bus company has welcomed council plans to develop proposals to tackle Oxford's "devastating" traffic.

Oxford Bus Company previously urged Oxfordshire County Council to find a "Plan B", after the ongoing Botley Road closure delayed the authority's planned introduction of traffic filters.

The council responded to this by confirming it would be drafting new plans to deal with the city's congestion problem.

Luke Marion, the bus company's managing director, said he was "encouraged by the announcement" and "looked forward to engaging" with the council to "improve journeys" for bus users.

"A robust bus network is critical in order for the Council to achieve its sustainability targets on the county's roads which we are wholly supportive of," Mr Marion said.

"To further enhance the appeal of travelling by bus, we need journeys to be faster and more reliable than is currently possible.

"Present levels of congestion are having a devastating impact on our city which we're keen to help resolve through positive discussion."

Oxford Bus Company said journey times on the Abingdon Road had increased by an average of 17% since the Botley Road was closed, with services between Blackbird Leys and Oxford city centre slowing by 33% compared with 2013.

Following Mr Marion's correspondence, the council confirmed that potential options to improve travel conditions would be discussed by the cabinet.

The council had planned to introduce contentious traffic filters on several major roads in autumn 2024, but they were pushed back for another two years due to the ongoing closure of Botley Road.

Labour councillor Brad Baines previously argued argued that the county council plans did "not answer questions about affordability of bus services or routes going where people need to go".

"These are key barriers which are yet to be addressed or even considered."

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