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Here’s something that most of us didn’t see coming in 2023. Over in the UK, Oxfordshire County Council is proposing to restrict daytime private vehicle usage inside the city of Oxford, unless the motorists have a permit that allows travel. The exception to the new no-travel-allowed laws? Motorcycles and scooters.
The plan
The council has divided Oxford into six traffic zones, and set up so-called “traffic filters” between these zones. These filters are actually automated camera systems that detect which cars are entering the traffic zone. Under the council’s plan, cars will not be allowed to travel between zones unless they have a permit. Those permits will allow motorists to travel between the filters for up to 100 days a year. Any more than that, and the motorist will receive a fine of £70 (about $85 USD) per infraction, which will presumably be auto-managed by the camera systems.
The filters would run seven days a week, from 7 AM to 7 PM.
Public transit, taxis and some other vehicles will not be restricted by the system. The council website says this:
When they are operating, private cars will not be allowed through the traffic filters without a permit. All other vehicles including buses, coaches, taxis, vans, mopeds, motorbikes and HGVs will be allowed at all times. Residents in Oxford and some areas just outside the city will be able to apply for a permit allowing them to drive through the traffic filters for up to 100 days per year.
Note that the filters are not physical checkpoints staffed by police. Nobody is being physically deterred from traveling from one side of town to another—but there is most certainly a financial deterrent, which will amount to the same thing for many motorists.
Why the crackdown?
Why the crackdown on private vehicle usage? Again, as per the council website:
Across our county, we want to reduce unnecessary journeys by private vehicles and make walking, cycling, public and shared transport the natural first choice.
This will help us deliver an affordable, sustainable and inclusive transport system that enables the county to thrive whilst protecting the environment and making Oxfordshire a better place to live for all residents.
Traffic filters are an important tool to achieve this in Oxford. The proposed traffic filters will reduce traffic levels across the city. They will:
make walking and cycling safer and more attractive.
make bus journeys quicker and more reliable.
enable new and improved bus routes.
support investment in modern buses
help tackle climate change, reduce local air pollution and improve the health and wellbeing of our communities.
Motorcycles are exempt (for now)
Currently, the plan is to run the traffic filter through a six-month trial period to see how it goes. Of course, there will be plenty of discussions and meetings and paperwork through and after this period, to determine if the council can or will make this a full-time policy.
For now, motorcycles and mopeds are not restricted by the traffic filter laws during the duration of the trial period, which is expected to start in the summer of 2023. That may change down the road.
In England, bikes are already seen as practical transportation. With an exemption to the traffic filter, bikes like this little UK-market Yamaha XSR125 commuter will make a lot of sense for many British motorists. Photo: Yamaha
Some takeaway thoughts
This whole situation is still in play, but we can already take away a few thoughts.
1. Restriction of urban traffic is coming to a city near you, slowly. We’ve seen some work along these lines in Asia already, where some cities have been restricting motorcycle traffic for years. The idea is becoming more widespread in Europe, and then eventually it will spread to North America. Having said that, it seems likely we’re years away from any politician seriously bringing the idea forward in the US or Canada.
2. While most readers no doubt have plenty to say about the council’s plan, at least the politicians are exempting motorcycles. This is an important point, because motorcycles have long been proved to be excellent at reducing traffic gridlock, and it seems the Oxfordshire council has paid attention. Hopefully this catches on. For some reason, North Americans are often resistant to the idea of using two wheels to commute—perhaps the ongoing advances in the cause of lanesplitting will help here.
3. Traffic cameras are going to increasingly shape our motoring experience. Speed cameras and red light cameras are already here to stay, and it seems like only a matter of time until noise camera technology is figured out and implemented everywhere. Now, it seems that traffic cameras are also going to be used to keep tabs on our movements, in order to reduce travel. One wonders what Big Brother might have in store for us next…
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