‘Greens’ call on County Council to bring forward walking and cycling improvements

SOUTH Oxfordshire’s Green councillors say they have been keeping a close eye on air quality during the lockdown, and that they welcome the recent announcement by the District Council of measurements showing a marked reduction in Nitrogen Dioxide emissions in the district’s towns compared to the same period last year. 

Last month, Green Councillor and District Cycle Champion, Sam Casey-Rerhaye, wrote to Oxfordshire County Council to ask their Highways Cabinet to look at how they could introduce temporary measures that increase space for pedestrians and cyclists during lockdown. 

“So far,” said Oxfordshire County Cllr, Pete Sudbury, “ all that has been forthcoming is a promise to maintain existing cycle routes, something which ought to happen routinely. Cllr Sudbury told Thamenews.net: “Poor air quality kills tens of thousands of people a year in the UK. One of the few benefits of the Covid crisis is that it tells us unequivocally that traffic is a major cause of the air quality problems in Wallingford and other Oxfordshire towns. 

“We need to seize this opportunity to reduce through traffic in our town centres. The County Council is getting £2.5m of government funding aimed at promoting safe social distancing in towns, walking, cycling and (especially after Covid) public transport. I am urging them to be much more creative in using it to support suggestions from local people that will make our town centres safer and healthier.”