Oxford's CCTV cameras show busier streets as lockdown eases

In April we showed pictures of usually rammed tourist spots that were deserted and empty as people stayed at home on lockdown.

CCTV cameras outside Oxford Martin School on Broad Street and Oxford Internet Institute looking over St Giles broadcast live online.

On a typical morning, before the pandemic, the streets would be chock-a-block with cars and commuters in a rush to get to work.

Read more: here's where oxford ranks in the list of places most likely to be put on local lockdown

But at the start of April, only weeks after the country was put on lockdown, only one or two cars could be spotted on the live cameras driving through the city’s streets.

CCTV in April 

At the time just one Ocado van, delivering shopping, was picked up going past St Giles and on Broad Street, just a few walkers in an hour.

But now, the cameras show the streets getting back to a new sense of normal with queues of traffic waiting at red lights.

On St Giles traffic was waiting at both sets of traffic lights as people holding umbrellas in the drizzly rain crossed the road.

Cyclists were also spotted weaving in and out of the cars and in just one minute on Broad Street 13 people were spotted walking and cycling and four cars and vans were seen.  

The busier streets reflect the government’s ease of lockdown rules and non-essential retail reopening.