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Oxford Road: Demands for 'immediate changes' after cyclist's death

Cyclox Dozens of people at the vigil held in Oxford to remember a woman who died the previous weekCyclox
Cyclox's vigil was held a week after the woman's death

Cycling campaigners have demanded "immediate changes" to a road on which a woman was killed in a collision with a lorry.

The woman, who was in her 40s, died while cycling on Oxford Road near Oxford Parkway station on 8 February.

Cycle group Cyclox said it was "horrified at the loss of yet another life" on the city's roads.

Oxfordshire County Council said it would listen to the group and residents.

Cyclox said people who use Oxford Road "are calling for change to happen fast to make it safe" and that it intends to "put pressure" on the authority to make alterations.

"We are horrified at the loss of yet another life and now in her memory we want to express our anger that our roads are so unsafe," it said in a statement.

The group held a vigil for the woman which was attended by about 100 people close to where she was killed on 15 February and handed a petition to the council on Tuesday.

Cyclox Handing in petitionCyclox
Members of Cyclox handed in a petition at County Hall in Oxford

The petition called for the speed limit on the road to be cut to 30mph and improvements to signs and road markings.

The latest victim was the fourth woman killed while cycling in Oxford since May 2017.

Oxford University student Claudia Comberti, who was 31, died on Botley Road in May 2017.

Specialist nurse and mother-of-two Samantha Blackborow, 35, was killed in Horspath Driftway after a collision with a bin lorry in November 2020.

Jennifer Wong, who was 32 and worked at Oxford Brookes University, was killed in a crash with a crane vehicle in Headington in September.

A county council statement said: "We acknowledge the concerns of the residents and cycling community following this terrible incident and will listen to what they have to say.

"One or our priorities is to make it safer for cyclists and pedestrians to get around and we will always look at ways we can achieve this," they said.

"We would be happy to meet with the campaigners to discuss improvements to the situation."

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