There is a quirkiness about Swinford Toll Bridge. Paying 5p to get across a bridge in your car is not something most of us have to do. Those of us who do it once in a while may get a faint glow, and a feeling that we are undertaking something that is somehow part of our long and glorious history.

For the thousands who have to cross Swinford Toll Bridge every day, it cannot be so. The bridge is a major crossing point of the Thames for thousands of people living in West Oxfordshire. The narrowness of the bridge makes it less than ideal. The fact that you have to stop and pay a toll is an added indignity and a cause of rush-hour delay.

Oxfordshire County Council has long had its eye on acquiring the bridge from its owners. It failed to do so back in the early 1990s when an inquiry approved the raising of the toll to 5p in order to pay for repairs.

There are very good reasons why this bridge should be in public ownership. It is not in a backwater that can be avoided by the majority of drivers. It is a significant artery between Oxford and a good portion of West Oxfordshire. The route has featured in county council plans to deal with congestion into Oxford from the west, particularly the logjam on the A40.

Swinford Toll bridge is a pinch-point. It is a cause of congestion, but could also help ease that congestion.

The current owners have put the toll bridge on the market for £1.65m. The last thing we want to see is it fall into the hands of another private owner.

There is an opportunity for Oxfordshire County Council to acquire this bridge and put it on the same footing as the rest of the road network. It should do all in its power to achieve this.