Sir – Your leader regarding light rail to relieve congestion on the A40 Witney to Oxford is a welcome proposal, but to attempt to run it on the old railway route would create more problems than it would solve.

If you want to give commuters an alterative to using their cars in a rural community, you have to understand that they have to get to the system — that means using a car and then parking it.

The successful doubling of the Charlbury line into Oxford is a case in point.

The car park at Long Hanborough station was overwhelmed, so a larger car park has been built to accommodate increased traffic.

This proposed light rail line should not be an isolated venture, but the start of an integrated tram system to solve all of Oxford’s centre and rural congestion.

Take the view of running the line down the A40 from Witney with stops at the roundabouts. Free, purpose-built car parks would be in adjacent fields with plenty of space and easily accessed.

The line would have a junction at the Kidlington roundabout at the end of the Banbury Road. You could then run a line all the way down the wide Banbury Road through Summertown and terminate at St Giles.

Paying for this proposal would not be a problem as light rail is part of Oxfordshire County Council’s strategic plan, also central Government is sympathic to new infrastructure investment.

Tram systems are a low-cost means of transporting large numbers of people — on average three times more people per journey than buses also with zero emissions.

M. Palmer, Witney