Anyone sitting in the day-long traffic disaster that is the Botley Road yesterday would have enjoyed the irony that it was European Car-Free Day.

Oxford made a big effort to mark the occasion, with all park-and-rides free and a big publicity event in Broad Street.

The problem is that somebody forgot to tell the key participants -- the ordinary motorist.

So while our local politicians sounded off about the benefits of cycling and walking to work, the proletariat crawled into the city in their fume-belching cars, vans, lorries and assorted MPVs.

No wonder the county council boycotted the whole thing, dismissing it as a meaningless publicity stunt.

Those who took part should not be condemned for at least trying to do something positive about our almost total dependance on the internal combustion engine.

Their optimism and persistence should be applauded.

But judging by the traffic queues across the city yesterday, they have a long hard battle for hearts and minds ahead of them.