It is quite clear why Cambridge is growing more quickly than Oxford – they have developed large employment sites in (and just outside) their green belt, with huge increases in car commuting as a result. We have a long tradition of trying to avoid this: the congestion on our roads is bad enough already.

The best place for employment growth is in the city centre – offices don’t actually take up much space. So what we really need is a solution to the perennial congestion approaching Oxford from the west.

While new railways, trams, monorails or busways have been touted as options, they are all expensive, and don’t get to the root of the problem – driving is just as quick, if not quicker.

Instead, the radical solution is to close Botley Road to through traffic, to ensure that driving is slower.

Today’s letters

The restriction would be enforced by number-plate recognition cameras at each end. This would speed up bus services from Witney by about 20 minutes, and give a fast route into the centre from a whole swathe of places, from Abingdon round to Bicester. As with the changes in 1999, it’s all about being brave enough to give buses priority, and make sure the cars have to take the long way round. If the changes are effective, there is a large shift to public transport, and pretty much everyone gets to work faster.

Richard Mann, Oatlands Road, Oxford

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