Park and ride is a vital way of cutting congestion in Oxford

Let’s remember why the concept was originally created. There were controversial proposals to build a road across Christ Church Meadow to resolve the City’s congestion problems.

It was accepted a ‘better way’ of managing transport demand was needed.

The city and county councils received a consultant’s report in 1968 and after consultation and deliberation, both authorities formed a Balanced Transport Plan (BTP) from 1973.

It sought to contain and reduce private transport use within the Oxford Ring Road, by encouraging the use of public transport, cycling and walking.

Measures implemented to promote Park & Ride included increasing parking charges in Oxford and giving buses priority over cars in traffic flow.

Read more: Pub landlords slam Covid passport plan

Four more Park & Ride sites were created at Pear Tree, Thornhill, Seacourt and Water Eaton. Oxford’s Park & Ride system became one of the largest in the UK.

As we get back to ‘normal’ many will not want to lose some of the few positives of the pandemic: improved air quality and less congestion.

Embracing the Park & Ride will be crucial. The five large car parks located around the ring-road and bus services which take people into Oxford are still designed to reduce congestion and pollution as it was 50 years ago.

Imagine the negative impact of Oxford without the Park & Ride.

We need people to return to using it for the service as we know it to survive.

In 2019 almost 3 million people used it. A daily average of 8,000 people and 4,000 cars that did not clog up key roads.

Oxford Bus Company managing director Phil Southall with a park & ride bus

If the service ceased and traffic attempted to access Oxford, this would be 10 miles of additional queues. The data is clear - if people return to Oxford via private vehicles the roads will not cope.

We are at a fork in the road in Oxford’s ambition to become carbon neutral by 2035. Success requires all stakeholders to collaborate, and overall behaviour change in how we all use transport to achieve modal shift from car to public transport and active travel.

The Committee on Climate Change published its Sixth Carbon Budget in December. It acknowledged reducing demand for car travel offers significant potential for reducing emissions, benefitting congestion, air quality and health.

Read again: Home Office staff spent £900 at Oxford pub

It includes switching to walking, cycling and rail. But a significant proportion will need to come from increased bus travel, given the types of journey that need to shift. The Committee assesses around 9-12% of car trips could be shifted to buses by 2030, increasing to 17-24% by 2050.

Delivering this level of modal shift requires around a 50% increase in pre-Covid bus journeys by 2050.

Park & Ride has been at 8% of pre Covid levels for months and we need to speed up bus journey times by 10% to ease congestion and afford to convert our fleet to zero emissions.

We have made progress on improving air quality. Since 2013 NOx emissions from transport decreased by 7% in Oxford.

The Oxford City Council air quality report revealed NOx emissions from buses decreased by half, from 64% to 32%. It confirmed buses are a key part of the solution and cars are now the biggest polluter in Oxford. NOx emissions from cars increased by 22% from 15% to 37% of transport emissions.

Read more: English breakfast cafe's food hygiene score

Bus operators have invested millions in new buses to Euro VI standard and received funding via the Clean Bus Technology Fund awarded to Oxford City Council to upgrade earlier engines to the Euro VI standard. Furthermore, Oxford Bus Company introduced the first electric bus to the city last year via the City Sightseeing Oxford fleet with more to come.

The report highlighted continued trouble spots, but we believe the City’s approach will enable further progress.

The assessment reported the continued conversion of all buses to Euro VI will enable Oxford’s worst polluted streets to achieve legal compliance.

The planned Oxford Zero Emission Zone and Connecting Oxford proposals will improve the landscape further by reducing cars in the city.

A sign for Seacourt park & ride

However, if people do not significantly return to using Park & Ride services and instead travel via private vehicles progress will go into dramatic reverse, leading to a double whammy of terrible congestion and pollution. It risks people visiting other cities instead, which Oxford can ill-afford as we re-boot our visitor economy.

Read again: Food larder wins Sheriff's award

As a community we all need to ensure we protect our improved air quality.

We hope people re-embrace sustainable and safe travel to visit our beautiful city and in doing so protect our environment and prevent congestion making Oxford a no-go zone.