Sir – The proposed local transport plan is (probably) to do nothing for a while. No money, you see. Lots of grand ideas for the future, but not yet. We’ll just have to let congestion and pollution get worse for a bit.

But as we have seen over the last year with 20mph, it is possible to make major improvements quite cheaply, because motorists now accept being restrained for the benefit of other road users. The county needs to exploit this opportunity, not give up because all their expensive schemes are being blocked.

There are dozens of places in Oxford where the county has for years said there isn’t quite enough room for cycle lanes, most notoriously under the railway bridge. The county should change its approach, put in cycle lanes and let the motorists adjust their speed to fit.

Oxford has some of the most extensive cycle lanes in the country, but we need to have the courage to fill in the frustrating gaps and maximise the potential of the bicycle. It’s time to get on our bikes.

Richard Mann Cyclox