IT'S OBVIOUS that this country needs a benign green dictator — ME. How long must we trudge from the gaffes to the missed opportunities and fudged compromises of our local and national politicians?

On the cycling front, where shall we start? The entire country is a gridlocked monument to failed transport policies. Cars are the be all and end all of personal transportation, leading to overcrowded trains, ludicrously overpriced buses and a road network that is as often as not hostile to cyclists. I'd give everyone concessionary bus and rail passes and I'd pay for it with congestion charges. But I am not your green dictator — yet.

Four years ago, Cyclox and the Oxford Pedestrians' Association decided to turn the tide by promoting European Car-Free Day (ECFD). ECFD means questioning using your car for every journey and, whenever possible, switching to modes that are less damaging. What we planned was not anti-car but an opportunity for people to experience a quieter, calmer city centre.

Those who'd left their car at home that day enjoyed a free breakfast in the Town Hall while the Lord Mayor of Oxford led a bicycle cavalcade around the city centre. Stalls in Broad Street promoted car-free ideas during the day. Although a drop in the ocean, it was a great success.

ECFD is known as “In town, without my car!” which has the winning acronym “ITWMC” — catchy, huh? Some councils make a real effort to get more people cycling and walking — 10,000 celebrated Waltham Forest Council's ITWMC. But getting the message out to people is time-consuming and expensive, too much so for voluntary organisations.

So in 2005, we asked local councils to promote ITWMC. The county council said “no” because it didn't want to favour any one form of transport. Instead, it invested in schemes to improve access to Oxford, mainly by car.

The city council was more positive. It organised ITWMC from 2005 to 2007. Broad Street was partially closed to traffic and the event grew in momentum and appeal. Sadly, there are no prizes for guessing what happened to Oxford's ITWMC this year.

Oxford University did something for its own staff, but there was no city-wide initiative. Oxford's ITWMC needed to grow year on year, with major institutional sponsorship. Instead, it's been unceremoniously abandoned. Rest assured — no green dictator would have allowed such a sorry lapse.

If you're as tired of all the politicking as I am and simply want to enjoy your bike, why not cycle to Blenheim Palace next Sunday? The grounds are open to cyclists for the first time (tickets are cheaper in advance) and you can watch bike races and bike polo all day, including this year's unmissable international Brompton racing championships!

Your very own green-dictator-in-waiting is leading a cycle ride from Oxford to Blenheim, using Sustrans' Route 5 the whole way. The ride departs at 10.30am sharp on Sunday from Broad Street. Look for the guy with the dog in a bike trailer.