Sir – Oh that I could claim to be the paragon that Susan Thomas (Letter, May 20) makes me out to be! I do cycle to work — that’s true — and I walk around my ward and use the buses, but like most people in Oxford there are times when I have to use my car.

I wish I could use it less, so I’m looking forward to expressing my preferences for the way forward for managing Oxford’s traffic in the county council public consultation, Local Transport Plan 3. The consultation runs until June 20 and I would urge everyone to take part, on-line or by post. Go to the county council website and click on Consultation.

With the Liberal Democrat and Conservative coalition taking the necessary axe to our disastrous national deficit, we are entering a necessary period of austerity in our local public spending. But this is precisely the time when we can start planning for the longer term.

If our city’s slogan ‘A World-Class City for Everyone’ is to mean what it says, we should be ready to think outside the box.

That includes improving the way we get around our city, as well as our rail, coach and air links with the outside world, while at the same time aiming for a zero-carbon footprint.

Though transport is formally a county responsibility, it’s one of my ‘hats’ as a member of the growing opposition Liberal Democrat group on the city council, and I shall be very pleased to hear from anyone who would like to share their thoughts on present issues or future possibilities.

Graham Jones (Dr) City Councillor for St Clement’s