A COUNCILLOR has been called ‘cowardly and dishonourable’ after he said drivers in the city were ‘part of the’ gridlock ‘problem’.

Last week, people across the city were subjected to long delays after Thames Water carried out work on the Southern Bypass and Park End Road was closed.  

Oxfordshire County Councillor, Tim Bearder, who is the Cabinet Member for Highway Management, apologised for the delays, however, added that motorists driving into Oxford also need to ‘own’ the issue.

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He said that drivers are ‘part of the problem’ for not using public transport and that the city needs ‘radical change’.

Speaking to the BBC Mr Bearder said: "We have to own this problem.

“It's not playing politics to say that we have a fragile network and that the moment anything happens, the moment Thames Water has to replace a pipe, everything grinds to a halt.

"What we have to do is make radical changes to the way we use our network.

“We have to get back into buses - buses make sense - and if you're in a car in front of the bus you're part of the problem because you're delaying that bus and making it harder for people to get to town in a considerate way."

The comments have been met with criticism from fellow political groups across the city.

Following Mr Bearder’s remarks, the Oxford East Conservative Association called on the councillor to apologies.

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Daniel Stafford, who is deputy chair of the association, said: “These thoughtless remarks demonstrate Cllr Bearder has no empathy for Oxford’s residents, nor understanding of the complex needs of our city.

“It is cowardly and dishonourable to try and shift the blame for his own lack of ideas and to blame Oxford’s residents instead.

 “It is disingenuous to suggest the blame lies with selfish motorists.”

Speaking on behalf of OECA, Mr Stafford blamed ‘appalling’ public transport links as to why many people across the city use cars to get around.

He added: “The way to better active travel is to address the underlying problems, through expanding infrastructure and fixing the housing market so that public sector workers don’t need to commute from outside the city.”

Responding to OECA’s claims, Mr Bearder said: “The BBC Online article quoted an extract from comments I made to BBC Radio Oxford, in which I specifically said I wasn't blaming motorists, but asked us all to recognise we are part of the problem.

“If you're in traffic, you are the traffic.

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“I'm asking motorists, myself included, to consider how the choices we make have an impact on the wider road network.

“If people can think about their journeys and use public transport where possible then we will all enjoy more sustainable, safer, and efficient commutes.”

Mr Bearder is also a district councillor for South Oxfordshire District Council and a Borough Councillor in Hampshire.

He added: “The Oxfordshire Conservatives twiddled their thumbs for 16-years when they were in control of our roads and in that time motor vehicles continued to increase relentlessly on our medieval streets.

“Now they want us to reverse measures they installed in the final throws of their time in office designed to reduce the number of short trip people make by car.”