WEST Oxfordshire district councillor David Harvey is in the wrong century if he wants to encourage car journeys into the centre of Witney (The Issue, Oxford Mail, January 13).

Delays from congestion harm Witney’s economy. Emissions from slow-moving traffic harm public health and help to cause climate change.

Since Witney’s last passenger train ran in 1962 the town has almost trebled in size, bringing many more cars than its town centre has room for. The A40 is choked too.

West Oxfordshire must start charging at all Witney’s car parks and help the county to support more frequent buses from Witney’s suburbs and surrounding villages.

In June last year the Association of Train Operating Companies’ Connecting Communities report showed that if the Witney railway had stayed open, it would be thriving now.

Less than a decade ago, Oxfordshire tried and failed to get funding for a guided busway between Witney and Oxford, despite consultant engineers Mott McDonald telling the county council it could have the much more fuel-efficient option of a tramway for almost the same price.

Oxfordshire’s long list of proposals for its Local Transport Plan 2011-30 ignores the great potential of trams to connect Witney, Abingdon, Kidlington and the eastern suburbs of Oxford.

Mr Harvey dismisses railways as if they were in the past.

County council leader Keith Mitchell has been associated with the pro-car Association of British Drivers. His deputy David Robertson, meanwhile, helps to congest Botley Road by driving into Oxford in a Jaguar.

Trams must be our future. Oxfordshire Conservatives’ transport policy must escape from its past.

Hugh Jaeger, Chairman, Bus Users UK Oxford Branch