Earlier this year, I had a cycling accident while commuting to work on the Botley road. Luckily, I came out of it fairly unharmed (make sure to wear a helmet folks!), but I did have to deal with a broken wrist in a cumbersome and unsightly cast for six weeks. So while I was sanctioned my primary mode of transport, I would vent my frustration toward city planning and public infrastructure. “How can the sign say ‘a cycling city’ when so many cyclists don’t feel safe on the road?”, I would accuse, pained at the prospect of another bus ride. The truth is, although Oxford boasts its high proportion of cyclists, the roads just aren’t as accommodating as they should be.
There is still unfortunately lots of animosity between motorists and the rest of road users. Margaret Thatcher once allegedly said that “a man who, beyond the age of 26, finds himself on a bus can count himself as a failure.” And it seems that this spite toward non-motorists has continued into present discourse: Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps suggested recently that bikes should sport licence plates and be subject to road tax. But silly suggestions such as Shapps’ are only the signs of a losing battle. The rest of the country seems to be waking up to the need to get away from gas-guzzling, congestion-causing motors. City councils across the country are embracing the necessity of people-oriented travel, and the failure of car hegemony.
Oxford City Council’s vision for 2050 is full of exciting and inspiring plans for the future of the area’s transit, claiming that “streets will prioritise for cyclists and pedestrians.” We are already being introduced to such plans with new wider cycle-lanes on Iffley road and the central zero emission zone, councillors are committed to making it easier to travel green. Better still, mass transit both within and between cities is being improved. Andy Burnham launched recently a scheme making bus fares cheaper in Manchester, a god-send to commuters struggling in the cost of living crisis. Finally, perhaps the only perk in the wake of the pandemic has been an end to John Major’s perverse railway franchising system, in favour of a semi-nationalised approach. So, although there will be wounds to heal in the hearts of Jeremy Clarkson wannabes (and my fractured scaphoid bone), the era of people-oriented travel may finally be on its way.
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