The Oxford city council Liberal Democrats group has called on the county council to provide blue badge holders with automatic number plate (ANPR) camera exemptions.
Andrew Gant, cabinet member for highway management, decided on June 22 that Littlehay Road, Crescent Road and Littlemore Road in Cowley will have low traffic neighbourhood restrictions enforced through the introduction of ANPR cameras.
These cameras issue motorists with a fine unless they qualify for an exemption.
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However, despite those eligible for exemptions including taxis, universal service providers and emergency services, Mr Gant chose to not grant exemptions immediately to blue badge holders.
The Liberal Democrat’s group leader at the city council, councillor Chris Smowton said it was the right time to grant exemptions for blue badge holders living within low traffic neighbourhoods.
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He said: “Blue badge holders often depend on car travel and find it very difficult to switch to walking or cycling.
“When a blue badge holder lives inside an LTN, that means they are very likely to contribute to local traffic whether they are allowed through camera controls or not.”
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Mr Smowton said the county council had a “golden opportunity to strike a balance between delivering the shift away from car travel” and “extending a helping hand to people who find that change particularly difficult”.
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In the meeting in June, Mr Gant promised to put the exemptions “thoroughly under review” and Mr Smowton said he supported this review taking place.
At the time, Mr Gant told the Oxford Mail that he was committed to carrying out a “further review into the needs of Blue Badge holders, health care workers and carers”.
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Ed specialises in writing political stories for the Oxford Mail and The Oxford Times.
He joined in the team in February 2023, after completing a History undergraduate degree at the University of York and studying for his NCTJ diploma in London.
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