Four new road safety schemes have been approved by Oxfordshire County Council as part of its Vision Zero initiative – the countywide strategy to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on Oxfordshire’s roads by 2050.
At a recent meeting, Councillor Andrew Gant, Cabinet Member for Transport Management, gave the go-ahead for projects designed to improve safety across key routes, including the A4074 corridor between Oxford and Caversham, the A40 at Barnard Gate near Eynsham, the A40 at Holton/Wheatley, and the Welch Way roundabout in Witney.
Councillor Gant said:
“Vision Zero starts with a simple premise — that no one should be killed or seriously injured as the result of a road collision, whatever mode of transport they are using.
“Designing roads and streets that are safe is one of the key strands of this policy, along with education, behaviour change, responses to collisions, and safe speeds.
“We believe these measures will improve safety at sites where problems have been identified. However, as with all projects, we will monitor the results and make changes as required.”
The A4074 corridor will see some speed limits reduced to 40mph and 50mph as part of the council’s ongoing review of speed limits on all A and B roads under its responsibility.
At Barnard Gate on the A40, no right turn restrictions will be introduced on an experimental basis, while a central reservation gap on the A40 London Road at Holton/Wheatley will be closed to improve safety. In Witney, a raised parallel crossing will be installed at Welch Way to protect pedestrians and cyclists.
The Vision Zero strategy and action plan, adopted in 2024, seeks to ensure the county’s road network is safely designed, implemented, and maintained, with user safety at the core of every decision. The approach also emphasises collaboration between the council, local communities, and partner organisations.
The programme includes a £4 million capital budget for safety measures to be delivered by 2026, alongside £250,000 in revenue funding to support education, enforcement, and monitoring efforts.
Councillor Gant added that further Vision Zero schemes are already in development and will come forward in future council meetings as part of Oxfordshire’s commitment to safer, more sustainable transport.
