I HAD occasion to visit a side street between Iffley Road and Cowley Road in Oxford the other evening.

The parking on such narrow streets is a disaster waiting to happen.

How long before a fire engine tries to get to one of the properties in these streets and cannot, because the road had vehicle parking on both sides?

When it has happened it will be too late.

Having at one time lived in the area, I appreciate the problem with obtaining off-street parking but I was lucky enough to have room to take some of my garden and put a hard-standing down to park my car.

It was in the 1960s and I can assure you I would not have been allowed to park on the road all night without a light showing.

Residents need some parking spaces, I fully accept that. Many of these properties are rented to students and it now appears that once again, backward a step as it may seem, students will have to be restricted in their vehicles.

Without dwelling too much in the past, a student used to have to seek permission from the proctors to bring a vehicle to college and while at college usually used a cycle, walked, or ran from the outskirts of town.

Some scientific studies even support the fact that a brisk walk en route to study is advantageous to the working of the brain.

The colleges must also attempt to help by using some of their land as parking areas for their students.

Oxford Brookes University especially is growing fast and buying up all sorts of old buildings to convert to student accommodation. Parking should be considered at the same time.

After all, does not a university education encourage the study of the full picture and all aspects of a problem?

Landlords too must address the problem and supply off-street parking for their tenants.

Please will the councillors give due consideration to the problem before a life is lost?

CHRIS PAYNE Turnpike Road Bicester