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Have your say on 20mph plan
3:17pm Monday 1st September 2008
People are to be given a say about whether a 20mph speed limit should be introduced across Oxford.
Public meetings will be held in September and October on plans to bring in 20mph limits on all minor roads and some sections of A-roads.
For the first time, people living and working in the city can air their views about the proposals.
Lynne Trenery, of Southfield Road, East Oxford, is a member of campaigning group Life Begins at 20, which is calling for a reduction in speed limits. She said: "We would like as many people as possible to go along to the meetings.
"There is definitely a lot of support for the plans within local communities and within the resident groups who have lent their voice to the overall campaign.
Among those backing the scheme is 20-year-old Emma Dibdin, from Headington.
She was seriously injured when hit by a car in Headley Way six years ago - an accident which was not the driver's fault - but could have been avoided if the speed limit was lower.
She said: "The speed limits are ridiculous when you consider just around where I live, we have five schools with really quite young children. I don't believe there is any need to go at the kind of speeds drivers do.
"With a 20mph limit, it will really force people to think about their speed.
"I believe if the car that hit me had been going slower, it would have seen me and the accident might never have happened."
Abi Johnson, of Hurst Street, East Oxford, who has an 18-month-old son, Patrick, said: "I think it would be brilliant. It is terrifying how fast 30mph seems when you have a little child in your hand.
"In a city with narrow streets and quite a lot of heavily congested parking, 30mph is really dangerous."
Oxfordshire County Council revealed its plans in June, with a breakdown of the roads affected in July.
The first public meeting will be on Wednesday at John Bunyan Church Hall, Crowell Road, Cowley, at 7pm.
Further meetings will be on Tuesday, September 9, at St Matthew's Parish Centre, Marlborough Road, South Oxford, 5.30pm; September 16 at St Andrew's Primary School, London Road, Headington, 6pm; September 17 at Larkrise Primary School, Boundary Brook Road, 6.30pm; October 2 at North Oxford Community Association, Diamond Place, Summertown, 5pm; October 8, at County Hall, 6.30pm; and October 13 at Blackbird Leys Community Centre, 6pm.
People can also email their views about the plan to 20@oxfordshire.gov.uk or by post to Oxfordshire County Council, 20 Limit Consultation, Speedwell House, Speedwell Street, Freepost OF260, Oxford, OX1 1BR.
Your Say YourOxfordshire
CC, Oxon says...
6:16pm Mon 1 Sep 08
A vehicle could kill someone at 1 MPH if a pedestrian is not looking where they are going.
It's about time pedestrians were educated in road safety, and taught not to walk in front of moving vehicles.
wtf, the tage says...
7:30pm Mon 1 Sep 08
julia, oxford says...
7:42pm Mon 1 Sep 08
Jeremy, Not Oxford says...
8:38pm Mon 1 Sep 08
Yet another reason not to go anywhere near the dump
DanOxford, says...
10:58pm Mon 1 Sep 08
julia wrote:Julia- this is another example of what Civitas think tank addressed in the superb 'The Retreat of Reason- Political Correctness and The Corruption of Public Debate in Modern Britain'. (civitas.org.uk)
What nonsense! 20 mph limit is needed because road accident injuries in Oxford are rising. Except they arent. They are falling - and have been for some years. So what is this about? A big power thrill for people who want some cause, some slogan, that makes them feel morally good in bullying their fellow citizens. Would cars be safer at 20 mph? Of course. And safer still at 10 mph. Why not 6 mph and a man with a red flag in front. And do you think this tiny minority of PC bullies drive around Didcot, say, or London, at a stately 20 mph? No, I dont think so. Hypocritcal bullying fanatics. Enough!
Put simply, emoting has replaced rational, evidence based decision making. Draconian or discriminatory measures are introduced due to 'politically' rather than 'factually' correct motives.
On a local level, you are indeed correct in your analysis that it is borne of a desire amongst a minority to rule over other people from the 'moral highground'.
On a more worrying level, it is based on the Marxist theories of The Frankfurt School of 1920's Germany that contended that (our) society could only be overthrown by encouraging 'victimhood', dividing the world into 'victims' and 'oppressors' and so paralysing the very foundations of The State (usually by attacking them as 'Racist!', 'Nazi!', 'Fascist!' etc) that society would break down.
This was needed because the (white) working class had 'failed' to overthrow 'the system (why would they when it provided them with benefits, the right to buy their Council house and enough for beer, fags and Sky TV if they so desired?) and the Left knew it could not win economically (capitalism having provided the best mechanism to distribute wealth to poor people) so attacked society culturally.
Everywhere you look, from schools to The Police to politicians to local Councils, the majority are terrified of opposing insane ideas that do not benefit most people lest they be denounced for some crime- in this case if youre not for the lower limit, you must be for damaging the environment and killing vulnerable people- due of course to your own selfishness.
Fortunately, most people now see this for the emotional (and financial) blackmail it is, have decided Britain is quite alright as it is thank you (hence its popularity for immigration) and we really dont want to be ruled by a bunch of sanctimonious hand wringing, hypocritical, finger- jabbing Communists. :O)
emma, oxfordshire says...
11:57am Tue 2 Sep 08
GrumpyOldMan, Wantage says...
12:08pm Tue 2 Sep 08
Gary, Oxford says...
12:34pm Tue 2 Sep 08
jeremy, Not Oxford says...
4:02pm Tue 2 Sep 08
Result is that everyone slows down to 40 before they really need to to avoid the fat boys in the van from taking their picture and sending them £60 fine and 3 points in the post.
Cops. Gotta love em. They do such a wonerful job of sitting on their arse stating the obvious.
J, Oxfordshire says...
4:32pm Tue 2 Sep 08
emma wrote:Emma- I agree! I read alot of the comments and sometimes write( like-now!) Dan has always put a smile on my face with his honest and matter of fact comments.
I love you Dan from Oxford!! everytime you comment on something you make me laugh out loud. Thank you.
Well done Dan- keep up the good work please!
Adrian, Didcot says...
10:14am Wed 3 Sep 08
Your sayYourOxfordshire
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DanOxford, says...
5:55pm Mon 1 Sep 08
40,000 people commute into Oxford every day- an incredible number until you consider that there are 30,000 students in Oxford- most of whom live within the ring road.
The vast majority of people simply want to go about their business, and to do so safely- as the recent Police speed checks around Cowley showed, with a tiny minority exceeding the speed limit.
They are not 'rat runner'; they are not 'gas guzzlers'- they are simply people forced to live outside of Oxford due to the exhorbitant cost of housing, fuelled by student expansion and rich NIMBY's colonising entire areas. New housing in Oxfordshire has been in the form of facility and employment -less car commuter estates, giving residents no choice other than to drive.
Mark my words- the people behind this plans are simply anti- car, and want other people to stop driving down 'their' roads and masquerade behind the Politically Correct bastions of 'Health and Safety' or 'The Environment'- the mere mention of which are enough to over- ride any objection or need for rational, evidence based discussion.