People are being urged to engage 'constructively' on the consultation over LTNs after it emerged the costs for damage to bollards and planters has now topped £12,000 since the measures were launched on 20 May.
Damage to traffic filters around east Oxford, as well as the Cowley area where trial LTNs were installed in 2021, is creating significant safety concerns, as well as a substantial cost to the taxpayer, said the county council.
And it reiterated that it will continue to make safe and reinstate all damaged bollards that have been forcibly knocked down or uprooted and is currently in the process of replacing filters on Leopold Street, Howard Street, Rectory Road, Southfield Road and Divinity Road.
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Councillor Andrew Gant, cabinet member for highways management, said: “The safety of everyone using and living on these roads is our utmost priority. The damage that has been done has not only created confusion and increased the risk of traffic incidents, but it may also prevent emergency services being able to gain access if the mechanisms allowing the bollards to be lowered are impacted.
“Vandalism of this kind is a serious criminal offence and I would urge anyone who is thinking of damaging any of these filters to think twice.
“I understand that some community members are voluntarily creating human barriers to vehicles trying to enter LTN areas through damaged filters. But I would again urge that people are mindful of their own safety and wait for bollards to be restored where they have been removed.
“We are committed to listening to all views on these experimental measures and the right way to make your voice heard is to take part in our public consultation. We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to voice their views on these trial measures, which cannot be implemented without engagement with those affected.”
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The LTN are designed to prevent vehicles taking shortcuts through a residential area by installing traffic filters.
Supporters say they have created quieter and safer streets but critics say they have offset traffic and badly harmed some businesses.
The public consultation can be accessed at letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/east-oxford-ltns-2022.
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