Major county green lights 20mph zones despite drivers insisting it won't 'improve traffic flow’

The move means more 30mph streets will have the speed limit dropped to 20mph across towns and villages.

Yesterday, 25 applications were given the go ahead by Oxfordshire County Council, including the towns of Banbury, Thame and Wallingford.

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Councillor Andrew Gantsaid: “This is an incredible landmarkand I want to thank all the communities who have been in touch with us, asking to make their residential streets safer and more pleasant places.

“Throughout the delivery of this programme we have been clear about the advantages it brings. You are seven times more likely to survive if you are hit by a car driving at 20mph than if you are hit at 30mph.

“Reducing speeds in residential areas is a vital pillar of our commitment to Vision Zero – our ambition to eliminate deaths and serious injuries from road traffic collisions in Oxfordshire by 2050.”

The newest towns with lower speeds follow Appleford, Appleton with Eaton, Berinsfield, Brize Meadow, Buscot and Buscot Wick, Chadlington, Culham, Ducklington, East Hagbourne, Fernham, Freeland and Fyfield and Tubney.

Areas which were also given approval to reduce speeds include Horley, Kelmscott, Little Wittenham, Middleton Stoney, Northmoor, Shipton-on-Cherwell, Souldern, Sibford Gower, Tiddington and West Hendred.

The council said it wanted to do a gradual roll out of lower speed limits, which was mainly led by residents in the towns and villages, rather than a mandatory county-wide one similar to the move taken by the Welsh Government.

To be eligible for 20mph in Oxfordshire, an application must initially be supported by each affected town or parish council and the local county councillor.

After this, a public consultation takes place, with opportunities for people to comment on the scheme.

The council added: “Once the remaining schemes are implemented across the county, a period of monitoring and evaluation will take place to assess the effectiveness of the measures, and any locations where further intervention may be beneficial to ensure the outcomes of the project are achieved.”

But the move to launch 20mph in Banbury has not been supported by drivers who are not happy with more zones being imposed.

One person shared: “Imposing 20mph will do absolutely nothing to improve traffic flow.

“Cars these days are safer and ‘friendly’ than they have ever been. The problems on our roads are created by the same people who are passing these new rules instead of being pro-active in enforcing existing laws and keeping our roads ‘fit for purpose’, which they certainly aren't!”

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Someone else shared on social media: “Bloody marvellous. So while many areas are reverting to 30mph following objections to the lower limit and the realisation that 20mph doesn’t actually deliver so many benefits, Oxfordshire County Council in their infinite wisdom decide to impose it on pretty much all of Banbury.

“Not on Oxford, because that would be far too inconvenient for all concerned. So, we’ll all be driving about for much longer in lower gear at higher revs. Great for the environment - well done OCC. Maybe we should all register our displeasure by sticking the cruise control on 10mph.”