DISCUSSIONS about how two councils are working together on a low-carbon transport future for Oxfordshire took place this week.

Transport minister George Freeman MP met with City Council Cabinet Member Alex Hollingsworth and County Council Leader Ian Hudspeth on Thursday.

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They revealed that better transport connections and lower carbon and nitrogen dioxide emissions are at the centre of future transport plans from the two councils.

Current policies to improve emission standards in Oxford’s bus fleets led to several years of falling air pollution levels, but in the last year these have levelled off, and congestion in and around Oxford means that morning rush hour journeys are now slower than in 2012.

Oxford Mail:

New programmes to tackle these issues, from support for electric vehicles to incentives to use public transport, are the focus of regional transport policies.

The councillors spoke about how both councils are working together on ways to reduce congestion, through measures to encourage more people onto buses, rail and cycle networks.

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A Zero Emission Zone in central Oxford aims to tackle air pollution and protect the health of everyone.

Mr Freeman said: “The great work being done here in Oxfordshire is increasing the uptake of electric vehicles, promoting smart transport technologies and attracting inward investment to create the jobs of tomorrow.

“With world class companies like Oxbotica investing here, we have the potential to build a world class cluster. "

Proposals will be put forward for consultation this autumn.