By 2009, the Government subsidy to private driving in the UK was about £26bn. 2010/2011, the Government froze fuel duties – causing the subsidy to grow further. But, in a country with growing numbers of electric vehicles, refunding the road system is a necessity Governments cannot avoid. Steve Dawe, with help from Hazel Dawe, gives an outline of what Electronic Road Pricing might look like in Oxford – a city notorious for its traffic problems:
The story behind Oxfordshire County Council making Low Traffic Neighbourhoods permanent in Oxford. So much fuss and misleading media coverage about a very small number of LTNs in Oxford, when London has over 100 LTNs…Article by Steve Dawe with support from Hazel Dawe:
A peer reviewed academic journal article by Steve Dawe on the Government’s extraordinary Plan for Drivers. (World Transport Policy and Practice, May 2024, 29.1) The Plan for Driver shows a Government that seeks division between drivers and others, whilst having no awareness that drivers want quieter streets where they live, less pollution and better Climate policies – see article by using this link:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/619593021331d42c0b62a1c6/t/6658f5a0dafef7079be65beb/1717106082549/WTPP+2024-29.1+rev-+2.2+MB.pdf
Paul F. Daniels has written a major new book on traffic and the environment: Traffication: how cars destroy the environment and what we can do about it. This article reviews a work which challenges the dependency upon, and expanding fleets of, the car. Steve Dawe, supported by Hazel Dawe, reviews the book – a significant contribution to the debate about having, using and being dependent upon a car:
Our new roads and railways are costing about 8 times the average for other countries in Europe. The very high cost of such infrastructure means other areas of infrastructure like minor roads are not not repaired; walking and cycling routes are often in a poor state; pedestrianisation is not being maintained or extended where most needed. This article, see link, makes a major challenge to the idea that national infrastructure is affordable, or that much of it is necessary investment at all. Steve Dawe writes with support from Hazel Dawe:
We have been losing Oxford to traffic for decades. Being a major employment centre means about half those who work in Oxford do not live here, adding to pressure on all modes of traffic in every rush hour-school run day. See article on this topic, written by Steve Dawe with support from Hazel Dawe:
Dear Reader,
Sorry this website has not been updated for a while. Household health issues have been very demanding since early December 2023. Despite this, recovery of full health is highly probable but may take the rest of this summer. We will publicise the re-launch of the site when the updating has been completed.
In the meantime, do consider a look at my articles here: https://westenglandbylines.co.uk/author/stevedawe/
and here: The Government’s Plan for Drivers – https://www.worldtransportjournal.org/journal pp.25-31 – journal issue 29.1
best wishes
Steve Dawe
The Oxford City Plan local consultation document, and associated Sustainability Appraisal, whilst better than earlier versions of this type of Council documentation, still needed more work. Growth of what, for what purpose and how sustainable will it actually be? Why build on green spaces and greenfield sites when the City’s population is growing? Where is the strategy to build apartments above the immense area of surface car parking, private and public, in Oxford? See our comments: Submission CATG Oxford City Planb 2040 December 2023
The Government’s Plan for Drivers is an extraordinarily weak document. It does not recognise the wide variety of road users including pedestrians and cyclists; it behaves as if drivers themselves were only concerned about driving; it has nothing to say on the massive traffic increases expected before 2060. This CATG report examines the Plan in detail:
Oxford is plagued by traffic, which continues to increase. More than half the working population of the City commutes into Oxford from elsewhere. Other facilities such as hospitals, private and State schools and shopping options also help add to Oxford’s burden of traffic. West Oxfordshire District Council must campaign vigorously to reduce traffic on the A40, and this must include re-opening the Carterton/Witney to Oxford rail line. This can link at Oxford rail station to a re-opened Cowley line, offering access to other parts of the City without using a car. See our short submission on this: Submission CATG West Oxfordshire L Plan 12 10 2023