Oxford's £6.5m traffic filter trial set to be approved

A £6.5m trial to stop most drivers in Oxford from using busy city routes at peak times is set to be approved.

But Oxfordshire County Council's six traffic filters look set to be delayed until at least 2024 because of work at Oxford train station.

More than 5,700 people gave their views to the council in a consultation and thousands of others expressed concerns in other petitions.

The authority's cabinet is expected to approve the project next week.

It could install six number plate recognition cameras across the city for at least six months as part of efforts to "achieve a sustainable transport system".

Just over 1,800 people signed a petition opposing the project over worries it would cause congestion on Botley Road.

In documents, council planners said traffic could increase by an average of 10% across a typical weekday on Botley Road, west of the junction with Seacourt Park and Ride.

They also admit the traffic filters could "cause some vehicles to divert via the ring road" and "potentially increase" traffic flows on "outer sections of some radial roads".

The council proposes the traffic filters are placed at:

It wants the filters to operate for seven days a week from 07:00 until 19:00, except those in Marston Ferry Road and Hollow Way. In changes to initial proposals, they would only operate from 07:00 until 09:00 and from 15:00 until 18:00, Monday to Saturday.

Any driver going through a filter who is neither exempt nor using a permit would be charged a £70 penalty.

Residents living in affected areas would get a 100-day pass per year to drive through the filters.

As part of another change, resident passes of 25 days per person per year would be given to Oxfordshire residents living outside the Oxford permit area, with a maximum of one vehicle per person and two vehicles per household.

Buses, coaches, vans, lorries and emergency vehicles would be exempt, as would blue badge holders.

Patients receiving "frequent hospital treatments" and people with temporary mobility problems would be given "short-term exemptions" to drive through one traffic filter of their choosing.

The council hopes the filters cut "unnecessary journeys by private vehicles" and make "walking, cycling, public and shared transport the natural first choice".

Support for the filters has previously come from Oxford University and Oxford Bus Company.

But the council has said the project should not start before the planned revamp of Oxford train station, which is set to close part of Botley Road for most of 2023.

Thames Valley Police told the council as part of the consultation that it has "concerns" about the enforcement of the filters, "which [officers] must not be responsible for".

The force also "queried" if the scheme would mean "extra traffic on the ring road which could cause delays in emergency response times".

Expected penalties of about £1.1m could be generated by fining errant drivers, while the maintenance, enforcement, signs and road markings could cost about £150,000 a year.

The council expects back office functions and communications to cost £200,000 and £100,000 a year respectively.

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].