Like the BBC reporter Brian Hanrahan aboard HMS Hermes during the Falklands War, I counted them all out and I counted them all back. And my conclusion was that huge numbers of motorists were flouting the law by dodging in and out of the Seacourt Park and Ride - using the dedicated lane from the A34 - to save themselves from long queues of rush hour morning traffic in the Botley Road.

My findings were reported on the front page of The Oxford Times. Oxfordshire County Council's utterly useless traffic department pledged they would do something to halt this abuse. This was five years ago.

Eighteen months ago, our sister newspaper the Oxford Mail carried out a more detailed investigation, which confirmed that this selfish practice was continuing - indeed, had become worse. In one hour, between 7.50am and 8.50am, 76 of the 280 drivers turning towards the park and ride were doing so to dodge the queues. Once more, county highways officials promised action.

This week, the Mail has been out measuring again. Guess what? Yes, it's still going on - and much, much worse. Of 515 cars turning towards the car park during the same hour on Monday morning, an astonishing 211 of them - that's 41 per cent - went towards the car park and then came straight out again.

Some exceptionally cheeky drivers - like the one in the picture above - did a U turn on the car park approach road, before shooting back into the Botley Road, ahead of all the mugs who had been patiently queuing from the west.

d=3,3,2'I must admit I am surprised at the amount," said county councillor Ian Hudspeth. Should he be? He's the cabinet member for transport, after all. And what else does he say? You've got it in one: "I will report to the relevant officers to see what we can do."

I have my own suspicion about why a blind eye seems to have been turned to this abuse. Rigorous enforcement, it seems to me, could easily lead to dangerous queues building up along the slip road from the A34, and down on to the carriageway itself.