'The electorate has endorsed our progressive approach to transport – we will not let them down'

THE LOCAL ELECTION in May 2021 put Oxfordshire County Council into No Overall Control, ending many decades of Conservative-led administrations. The new administration was initially a three-way coalition of Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green councillors, then, from September 2023, a minority administration of LibDems and Greens.

Like every city and county, Oxfordshire has struggled with ever-increasing volumes of traffic competing for finite road space. The LibDem-led administrations adopted a robust approach to addressing this critical issue. Almost all of the policies we adopted have been part of council policy for decades. What was lacking before May 2021 was the political will to deliver them.

There are a range of policies, all interlinked and overlapping, and all dedicated to the key objectives identified in our Local Transport and Connectivity Plan: safer, cleaner streets, better public transport, and more choice for the travelling public. All of this comes down to one quite simple fact: there is too much traffic on our roads. There is no solution which does not involve facing up to that and being prepared to do something about it.

Central to our policies to tackle congestion are what we have come to call the three Core Schemes: the six traffic filters; the expanded Zero Emission Zone; and the Workplace Parking Levy. Many other policies and schemes sit alongside these, including our roll-out of 20mph speed limits, the Vision Zero programme, School Streets and much else.

Frustratingly, the first of the Core Schemes (the traffic filters) has been repeatedly delayed by a vastly overrunning project by Network Rail to upgrade Oxford station, which has closed Botley Road, one of the key radial roads into the city. NR finally announced that Botley Road will reopen in August 2026: a scarcely credible delay of three years on what was meant to be a seven-month project (see LTT918).

We, therefore, found ourselves in the difficult position of going into the elections in May 2025 with a bold programme to reduce congestion; a huge amount of political capital invested in it; an angry and well-organised (at least in some quarters) opposition; and a press and media sector all too ready to make trouble: but, without having actually been able to do the main parts of our policy programme and demonstrate the benefits.

No election is about one thing, of course, and working out why the electorate votes as it does is something experts pore over and disagree about. But transport loomed large in this election.

The results exceeded our most optimistic expectations. My party was returned with an overall majority. The Greens, who also steadfastly support our approach, also did extremely well. An insurgent group running on the single issue of opposing our transport agenda gained just one seat (though they did take a chunk out of my own majority, on the back of some highly questionable electoral tactics). Other reactionary parties (Tories and Reform) went significantly backwards).

In addition, just before the election we received the recommendations of the Oxfordshire Citizens’ Assembly on transport issues. This was not a LibDem idea, and I personally was instinctively nervous about it. It was promoted by one of the opposition parties as part of the budget discussions when we were a minority. That party had previously supported our policies, indeed had designed and voted for them as part of the coalition, but had decided, extremely regrettably, to turn its back on them. They hoped the Assembly would back their view and come out against our progressive approach.

It did exactly the opposite. The Assembly called for much improved and discounted, or even free bus and park and park ride services, standardised ticketing, better connectivity in rural areas, more cycling and walking, and much else.

The position following 1 May 2025 could not be clearer. The electorate has endorsed our progressive approach to transport policy and given us not just a clear mandate, but an urgent instruction, to deliver the changes we have promised.

We will not let them down.