Moment neighbours act as ‘human bollards’ to ‘protect’ pedestrians from drivers after vandals destroyed controversial low traffic bollards on their residential street
- Residents took matters into their own hands after bollards were ripped up
- They were installed to prevent traffic and create quieter and safer streets
- But they’re controversial among drivers, who say it makes other roads busier
Frustrated locals are acting as ‘human bollards’ after vandals ripped out the physical poles designed to reduce traffic on their neighbourhood street.
Residents on Divinity Road in Oxford took matters in their own hands to protect cyclists, pedestrians and children from drivers flouting the rules.
Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) has set up a number of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) in the area to prevent vehicles taking shortcuts through a residential area with the aim of creating quieter and safer streets.
This included installing bollards, but the scheme has proved controversial and has been criticised for displacing traffic onto busier roads.
Many – including those on Divinity Road – have been vandalised, with a number of bollards across the county cut down and even set on fire.
Now video footage has shown locals standing in their place in the middle of the road to try and prevent cars racing through.
Frustrated locals are acting as ‘human bollards’ after vandals ripped out the physical poles designed to reduce traffic on their neighbourhood street
Residents on Divinity Road in Oxford took matters in their own hands to protect cyclists, pedestrians and children from drivers flouting the rules
Video footage has shown locals standing in place of the bollards in the middle of the road to try and prevent cars racing through
The controversial bollards, part of the Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme, have been ripped out of the road in a number of areas
Despite the controversy around the bollards, the county council insists it wants to proceed with the LTN scheme.
Cllr Andrew Gant, Cabinet Member for Highways Management at OCC, said: ‘It is disappointing that a few individuals see fit to damage the LTN bollards and their fittings.
‘We will continue to make safe and reinstate all damaged bollards that have been forcibly knocked down or uprooted.
‘Vandalism of this kind is a serious criminal offence and correcting it takes a lot of time and effort from our highway officers.
‘To ensure the safety of other road users, it is necessary for damaged bollards to be removed and the area made safe until a new bollard can be fitted.
‘For this reason, metal plates have been fitted temporarily at these locations as a safety measure whilst bollards are being repaired or replaced. They are installed to protect road users and prevent further vandalism.
‘In the meantime, we are also exploring other solutions to ensure that the LTNs continue to work on the ground, including looking at options to install heavy duty bollards, and options for automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.’
It is not the first time locals in the county have acted as ‘human bollards’, after protesters blocked drivers passing through a prohibited street last year – in which they claimed they were abused, threatened and driven at.
The three campaigners stood at the spot in Oxford’s Oriel Square for an hour and said around 70 vehicles tried to get through illegally.
A spokesperson wrote on Facebook that they were ‘immediately confronted by drivers from all sides, who revved towards us and demanded we move so they could break the law’.
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