Sir – The problem with traffic in Oxford is that some of it is necessary. Quite a lot of people have no practical alternative to driving.

It’s hard to devise measures that discourage people who do have practical alternatives, without unduly penalising people who don’t. This is why parking charges in the city centre are so high.

For almost everyone coming to the city centre, the bus (or walking or cycling) are reasonable alternatives.

But still, too many people drive into the city and try to park. Perhaps the charges should be even higher?

But that would unfairly penalise the people who really do need to drive.

It’s even more Alice-in-Wonderland in the morning and evening peak. There’s a fair amount of necessary traffic, but also a large number of people who have reasonable alternatives.

They drive because they have access to cheap parking. Perhaps we should close all the roads, or have a congestion charge? But that would unfairly penalise the people who really do need to drive.

For more than 40 years, we’ve asked people to use the alternatives, and tried to persuade people by raising parking charges, and improving public transport, walking and cycling. It hasn’t been enough, and the problem is only likely to get worse, as the city continues to grow.

I think we need to change our approach, and be much more specific about which car journeys should switch. Some journeys really don’t need to be made by car, and we should focus on those. It’s the unnecessary journeys that are causing all the congestion, and making life unpleasant for everyone.

So, if you are travelling to the city centre to work, or to the shops, Oxford expects that you use public transport, walk or cycle.

Richard Mann
Oxford