Have your say on highways and transport issues
People who live and work in Oxfordshire are urged to have their say on highways and transport issues around the county, including congestion, safety, cycling and the condition of roads and footpaths.
Oxfordshire County Council has launched a number of roads and transport online surveys, which are open to the public to comment on. The council is keen to hear views as soon as possible but people will have the chance to comment until February 2022. It is an opportunity for people to tell the new cross-party Oxfordshire Fair Deal Alliance, which was formed in May 2021 after the local elections, what they think about highways and transport services.
Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “The quality of our highways network and transport systems are some of the key things that Oxfordshire County Council is judged on by the public and it is a great responsibility which everyone here takes incredibly seriously.
“In my new role I am seeing first-hand how difficult it is for our hardworking teams to maintain the highway network within current budgets, due to insufficient national government funding. However, we are committed to keeping the transport network safe and structurally sound.
“I urge all residents to use these quick and easy online surveys to tell the new cross-party alliance what is being done well and what can be done better. It is important that as many people as possible who are affected by these issues have their say.”
The online survey categories are:
- accessibility
- highway maintenance
- public transport
- road safety
- tackling congestion
- walking and cycling
- business users.
Earlier this year, the council announced it was investing £31.3 million in improving the highways network for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians in 2021/22. Roads, cycleways, bridges, drainage, pavements and streetlights will all benefit from the programme. The full list of projects and their locations is available to view online.
Between April 2020 and March 2021, Oxfordshire County Council treated just under 1.5 million square metres of highway at more than 220 sites, with works valued at just over £20m.
Repairs are identified either through reports from the public or during the council’s own routine inspections. People can report any defect found to the highways using the Fix My Street app.
Meanwhile, in a separate survey, thousands of householders who have been selected at random are being asked for their views on Oxfordshire County Council’s highways and transport services. Their answers will be compared with the views of other members of the public across England and Scotland, thanks to the National Highways and Transport (NHT) public satisfaction survey.
The questionnaire is being sent to 3,300 residents, and will be followed by a reminder, with local and national results to be published in late October 2021. Since the survey is based on a random sample, residents who receive a copy are being urged to take part.
It is one way of several that provide Oxfordshire County Council with information to assess how it is performing and gives the public an opportunity to say which services they think the council should prioritise and improve.
The 2020 NHT survey showed an overall improvement of customer satisfaction on the previous year’s results, with almost twice as many key benchmark indicators rising as opposed to falling.