CoHSAT, the Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel welcome the 20 recommendations of an independent and representative Citizens’ Assembly on Transport in Oxfordshire.
The effectiveness of a Citizens’ Assembly is that it takes a representative group of people, and gives them information and discussion time that people don’t normally have. As a result, they can develop well-informed and balanced views, rather than reactive opinions.
The recommendations show the result of 34 representative citizens, having input from experts, employers, businesses and residents, and and time to discuss and develop recommendations for the benefit of everyone in Oxfordshire.
The result is that they want not just the Traffic Filters plan, but to go further by creating a car-free city centre and designated bus roads. They see the benefit of using a Zero Emission Zone and Workplace Parking Levy both to reduce congestion and to fund transport improvements like park and ride shuttle buses to hospitals and large workplaces. And they want big employers and the council doing more to encourage the shift away from car travel due to the harm it causes.
The Citizens’ Assembly is a representative process, and its findings align with representative polling in which a great majority of people support measures to reduce car traffic or to improve public transport, walking and cycling. We now look to the politicians of all parties to get behind the will of the citizens, and to put these recommendations into their manifestos, and into practice.
The summary recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly were presented to OCC Cabinet in March 2025. A full report is expected in June.
