Oxford hotelier Jeremy Mogford is urging his guests to object to a series of new bus gates across the city which he claims will be like 'Berlin Walls'.

Mr Mogford owns Old Bank Hotel in High Street the Old Parsonage Hotel in Banbury Road, and Gees restaurant a short distance away, on the same route.

In March, he launched the new Oxford Business Action Group, in a bid to give traders more of a say in transport planning.

Read again: New traders' group will lobby on anti-car measures

thisisoxfordshire:

Now he is urging his customers to say no to additional restrictions which would make driving around the city at certain times much less easy.

Six new camera-enforced bus gates - like the one operating in High Street - are being proposed and Mr Mogford is urging his guests to voice their opposition when consultation takes place.

He said in his summertime newsletter that the 'crazy city and county councils' were 'trying to close off every street in Oxford'.

Mr Mogford made his plea for support after the councils introduced new Lower Traffic Neighbourhood schemes in east Oxford.

Some LTN bollards have been removed by protesters.

The hotelier told guests: "The second 'battle of the bus-gates' (or 'traffic filters' as our city & county councils like to call them) is looming.

thisisoxfordshire:

Read more: Gees reopens following £1m revamp

"When the time comes in a month or two, we will be asking you to gird your pens and respond to the impending 'consultation' and hopefully oppose their anti-car proposals which threaten to divide our city into six separate zones.

"These proposed Bus Gates Berlin Walls will effectively prevent you from crossing the city by car.

thisisoxfordshire:

"So please spread the word."

Gees has just been given a £1m revamp.

The county council website says: "Traffic filters help reduce the number of cars entering the city centre and result in faster bus journey times.

"Traffic signs identify the location of each traffic filter, including operational hours and vehicles that are exempt to travel through. The scheme will be enforced using automatic number plate recognition cameras."

thisisoxfordshire:

It lists six locations for new bus gates.

  • St Cross Road
  • Thames Street
  • Hythe Bridge Street
  • St Clements
  • Marston Ferry Road
  • Hollow Way.

The St Clements traffic filter is new compared to previously published proposals in 2019. 

thisisoxfordshire:

Read again: Old Bank Hotel celebrates 20 years

The exact location of traffic filters will be finalised after public consultation and further detailed work.

As part of this process, additional traffic filters may be proposed. 

The website adds that the proposed traffic filters will help reduce bus journey times by at least 10 per cent in the city and encourage more people to walk and cycle.

It says: "Some journeys made by car may take longer, because they will have to take a less direct route."

thisisoxfordshire:

The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier separating East Germany and West Germany from 1961 until 1989 when the wall was demolished.

Read more from this author

This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF