This article was originally published by Rhoda Wilson at The Daily Exposé.

Oxford, UK, was one of the first to announce a scheme where car owners will be fined for driving outside of their local area.  The first low-traffic neighborhoods (“LTNs”) were introduced in Church Cowley, Temple Cowley, and Florence Park areas in March 2021.  These LTNs are collectively known as the East Oxford LTNs.

Despite receiving a backlash to their unpopular plans, the council is pressing forward.

“Work starts today (26 February) on Oxford streets to prepare for six traffic filters as part of a trial approved by Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet in November 2022,” Oxfordshire County Council announced. 

To stop prohibited vehicles driving without a permit, the traffic filters or “bus gates” will be monitored by automatic number plate recognition (“ANPR”) cameras. “Residents in Oxford and some areas just outside the city will be able to apply for a permit allowing them to drive through the traffic filters on up to 100 days per year,” the council said.

Despite an overwhelming objection to the measures, in February 2022, Tim Bearder, the then-cabinet member for highways, recommended making the LTNs permanent. However, Bearder delayed deciding to make them permanent because “it wouldn’t be right for one individual to make a decision in that context” and said it was “appropriate” for its cabinet to make a decision instead.

After the conclusion of a consultation held in May 2022, the council stated that “a decision on whether to make the trial scheme permanent or remove it will be made by the county council’s cabinet in late 2023.”

The council’s overarching plan with the LTNs is to divide Oxford into six districts with strict rules on how often motorists can drive outside their neighbourhood.

In October 2022, The Sunday Times summed up Oxfordshire County Council’s proposed plans: “Oxford’s 150,000 residents will be allowed to use their cars as much as they like within their district and will be given free permits allowing them to drive to other districts on 100 days a year. If they exceed this limit, they will be fined, possibly £70 a journey or a day.”

Duncan Enright, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for travel and development strategy, insisted the controversial 15-minute neighbourhood plan would go ahead “whether people liked it or not.”

Further reading:

• Protestors gather in Oxford to demonstrate their disapproval of draconian 15-minute neighbourhoods
• Council claims it is a “Victim of Abuse” following new Policy to enforce Climate Lockdowns without consent of the Public

The LTN “trial” comprised motor vehicles and motorbikes restricted access by road bollards and planters.  These physical barriers were placed in the Divinity Road, St Clement’s, and St Mary’s areas of east Oxford, a road in each of the LTN areas. According to the council’s website, “If the east Oxford LTNs remain in place and the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras is approved, the cameras will enforce restrictions that are currently enforced using planters and bollards.”  It continues:

The cameras will check the number plates of all vehicles passing through the restricted area during operational times, and cross-reference them against the exemptions list. If a vehicle is on the exemptions list, then the traffic authority will take no further action. If a vehicle is not on the exemptions list, the video clip will be reviewed by an enforcement officer, who may then issue a penalty charge notice (PCN) to the registered owner of the vehicle.

What is ANPR and how might it work to enforce a low traffic neighbourhood restriction?, FAQs, Oxfordshire County Council

The council claimed it would conduct a full analysis of the impact of the east Oxford LTNs which was expected to be published in October 2023 to support the cabinet decision on whether the LTNs should become permanent.

On the council’s webpage ‘Consultation documents’, there is no report – except for a snapshot monitoring and evaluation report dated June 2023 which provides a partial evaluation of the effects of the east Oxford Low LTNs since their implementation on 20 May 2022. Neither could we find a “full analysis” by searching the website for “LTN impact,” “LTN assessment” or “LTN evaluation.”  However, reporting on the council’s decision, cycling news outlet Road linked to THIS report by Bill Cotton, Corporate Director Environment & Place, to the cabinet.

In October 2023, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet agreed to continue the controversial traffic measures in Divinity Road, St Mary’s, and St Clement’s.  The cabinet consisting of Liberal Democrat and Green councillors also decided that ANPR cameras would replace the physical barriers in Divinity Road, James Street, and Magdalen Road. ANPR cameras are sometimes referred to as “traffic filters” or “bus gates” and are part of the Central Oxfordshire Travel Plan and Oxfordshire’s Local Transport and Connectivity Plan.

Further reading: Additions to technocrats’ surveillance toolkit: Microfliers, human-computer networks and AI

Meanwhile, as Road reported, the LTNs had become the epicenter of what some have described as a “civil war” in Oxford and the subject of protests, vandalism, arson attacks, and television documentaries.

“Oxfordshire County Council’s plans are ill-thought out, they’re making a huge mistake, they’re devastating people’s lives, they need to be stopped and fast,” Clinton Pugh said in early 2023.

Pugh is one of the many independent business owners in Cowley Road that the council is cutting off with LTNs. Cowley Road runs along all three of the “trial” LTN areas.

With their ill-conceived plan, the council has inhibited customers and deliveries to these independent businesses.

“Considering hardly any of the councillors actually live in Oxford, they’re not the ones that are putting up with this horrendous situation they’ve created,” he said.  “They’re actually going to try and make things worse by introducing bus gates now which, of course, when that segregation happens.”

Little more has been heard about Oxford’s LTNs until a post on Twitter on Sunday.

The infrastructure work to install the Oxford traffic filters is starting in March, most likely to be ready for this autumn. Life in Oxford and getting around our city is about to change dramatically! #wakeup #wakeupoxford #Oxford #oxford #oxfordtraffic #cars #freedom #movement pic.twitter.com/rlB64l2U8n

— OurCityOurChoice (@OurCityOurChoic) February 25, 2024

To which a user who is either paid, ignorant, or brainwashed responded:

And another one:

Yesterday, Oxfordshire County Council announced: “Work starts today (26 February) on Oxford streets to prepare for six traffic filters as part of a trial approved by Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet in November 2022.”

Early electrical works this week will take place overnight near the filter points at Hollow Way, Hythe Bridge St, St Cross Road, St Clements, Marston Ferry Road and Thames Street. One night of work is needed at each of the six locations.

In March, contractors will also clear vegetation on Thames Street island and complete survey work.

Councillor Judy Roberts, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Development Strategy, said … “We are preparing to begin the trial when Network Rail’s work to improve the railway station is complete in autumn. We’ll keep disruption to a minimum as essential work is done to install signs and electrics over the coming months.

“During the traffic filters trial period, residents can share their views in a public consultation to help the council evaluate the success of the project before a decision is made about whether to continue with it.”

The trial is due to start in October this year, after Network Rail’s work to improve Oxford Station is complete. Before then, contractors working on behalf of the council are installing signage and cameras in stages until September, with most work expected in May and June. Disruption will be kept to a minimum but some traffic control will be needed to ensure safety.

Street work starts in preparation for traffic filters trial, Oxfordshire County Council, 26 February 2024

Oxford is disregarding lessons learnt in London.  In 2021, it was announced that seven of London’s LTNs were to be scrapped after they were found to increase local congestion and caused “no material change in air quality.”

As reported by Daily Mail, the then Transport Secretary Grant Shapps previously announced the scheme – which plans for 200 LTNs across the country – is to receive hundreds of millions of pounds as part of the Government’s so-called “green transport revolution.”

The LTNs were brought in during the COVID shutdown in 2020 to redirect traffic away from residential areas, which involved installing cycle lanes, closing off roads to through traffic, and widening pavements.

However, a year after being introduced, seven out of the nine LTNs in Ealing had “no data available on whether there has been an impact on walking and cycling,” according to a report.

Ealing Council even discovered an increase in traffic on one road within the Acton LTN, as well as an increase in cars traveling on its boundary roads. While five of the seven LTNs did inevitably experience a reduction in traffic on residential streets inside the scheme, “increased congestion” was created on nearby streets.

According to the Daily Mail, the damning report challenged the Government’s repeated claims that LTNs are a popular idea among the public.

@juliangbell you should resign immediately, you’ve created congestion, pollution, gridlock, danger, your pet LTN project is a failure. Be honest with yourself, you’re finished. @DrOnkarSahotaAM @RupaHuq @jkblacker @deirdrecostigan @_petermason IS ANYONE LISTENING? pic.twitter.com/FfKgZGCMbW

— Mrs Malarky (@Kath1109) March 15, 2021