IN your article about an anti-pollution plan for Oxford (Oxford Mail, April 22) you quote a city councillor as saying “there’s no point in moving pollution problems on to other parts of the city”.

But that is exactly what councillors have been doing: closing more and more roads to traffic so that vehicles have to take much longer journeys, emitting more pollution.

You report that the main polluted areas include St Clement’s and Donnington Bridge, and there must be more traffic there since the High Street was closed to cars.

A letter from Nigel Clarke in your sister paper The Oxford Times points out the ridiculously long routes that traffic has to take to reach certain places – all because councillors have shut numerous roads, and put up barriers and chicanes wherever they can.

There are still calls to close such vital links such as George Street, making it harder for people to reach shops in the area and even hindering customers coming to the New Theatre.

If I want to reach George Street by car, I have to make a detour down Beaumont Street and Hythe Bridge Street and up Park End Street to get there.

Roads are built because there is a perceived need for them to provide access to places that people wish to go to.

Buses and trains are fine, but they don’t go everywhere, and many disabled and elderly people cannot use bicycles or even walk far.

It may be a sad fact but vehicles are necessary for many of us – and certainly for public services like the ambulance and fire services and the police.

If councils are worried about pollution, they should encourage the free-flow of traffic instead of obstructing it.

Tony Augarde, Carlton Road, Oxford