Only five per cent of the responses to a petition calling for a review into the Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme (LTNs) were from Oxford residents, data shows.
The petition created by Mark De-Laurey is demanding an independent evaluation of the possible benefits and disadvantages of LTNs in the local and wider area.
It states: “This should include pollution, road safety, mental wellbeing, effects on the vulnerable, and congestion.
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“Many residents that live on the boundaries of these LTNs experience increased congestion, road traffic accidents, pollution, damage to their mental wellbeing, and feel like they are not being listened to or consulted.”
At the time of writing the petition had 14,184 signatures.
But only 773 of these came from residents in the city of Oxford which constitutes 5.45 per cent of the responses.
598 people from the Oxford East constituency and 175 from Oxford West and Abingdon have signed it.
The majority of the respondents are from the London area.
For example there were 883 signatures in Lewisham East and 860 in Dulwich and West Norwood.
LTNs were installed in the Cowley and East Oxford last year in an effort to prevent motor vehicles taking short cuts through residential streets.
But the schemes have not just been introduced in Oxford and are in place across several areas of the county.
Littlemore resident Ian Yeatman said: “I was not surprised that the signatures are mainly London based because a lot of the boroughs were ahead of Oxford in terms of installing the LTNs.
“I can imagine the concerns are the same right across all the areas in terms of the consulation.
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Mr Yeatman explained that he is in favour of what the petition is proposing.
He said: “I think it would be of benefit for there to be an independent review.
“There are so many questions about the way it was implemented.
“The LTNs have not been positive in Littlemore, and they have not made a difference on traffic.
“We had a by-election recently and although the Labour councillors were elected there was a big swing towards the independent candidate.”
The government initially responded to Mr De-Laurey’s petition on March 7 stating that they would not be carrying out an independent review as requested because the responsibility for traffic management rests with the relevant local authority.
But the Petitions Committee (the group of MPs who oversee the petitions system) has stated that they do not feel the government’s response directly addresses the request of the petition.
They have since written back to the government asking for them to provide a revised response.
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