Oxfordshire’s highways chief took Conservative councillors to task as he criticised their stance on Low Traffic Neighbourhoods as “Tory muddle.”
Andrew Gant’s remarks came moments before Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet of Liberal Democrat councillors voted to continue the LTNs in East Oxford at a meeting yesterday (Tuesday, October 17).
The Conservatives have promised to bring forward proposals to halt further LTNs and, where practicable, to reverse existing ones that have not received public support.
But Mr Gant, a leading Lib Dem councillor, said the Tories had “no alternative vision” to reduce the city's traffic woes.
READ MORE: East Oxford LTNs made permanent by Oxfordshire council
“Congestion is dangerous,” he said. “It is bad for health, bad for our environment. We are trying to do something about it.
"You have got nothing to offer.”
Mr Gant said the original bid for LTNs had come while the Tories controlled the council.
“What would happen if we just took it out? Just think that through for a moment. Think of what we’ve all been through with this LTN project,” he said.
“You’re telling us now that your best idea is to take it out and end up with no solution to traffic and you’d end up pleasing nobody.
“Who on earth thinks that is a sensible way forward?”
READ MORE: RECAP: East Oxford LTN crunch meeting over scheme
He added: “The end result will be no change. It will be a dangerous, polluted city. Bad for everybody. Bad for residents, bad for business, bad for children.
“Things will get worse, and you will have managed to annoy everybody in the city bar none. Well done, good for you… we’re not doing that.”
Conservative group leader Eddie Reeves responded: "Conservative county councillors put forward a fully costed budget earlier this year, which included an important Park & Ride measure.
"If implemented, it would have been good for traffic circulation, good for residents and commuters, and good for businesses and public services that are being hammered by their botched LTNs.
"Cllr Gant does not listen. His Liberal Democrat colleagues do not listen. They have brought traffic to a standstill in Oxford in less than three years.
"As his colleague Tim Bearder said today, there is now a clear dividing line between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats locally.
"Let us see who the voters support in 18 months' time when the county goes to the polls."
The Labour group, which has typically supported LTNs, has now claimed that the East Oxford LTNs should not have been introduced before significant bus priority measures across the city.
Councillor Duncan Enright said: "These LTNs along with the Botley Road closure, and other roadworks have meant bus travel in the city has become impossibly slow.”
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