Work starts on trial to reduce city centre traffic

When completed the measures will operate seven days a week

Work is about to begin on a £6.5m trial scheme to reduce traffic levels in a city centre.

When completed, the traffic filters in Oxford will operate seven days a week and any driver without a permit will be charged a £70 penalty.

Oxfordshire County Council said the electrical works preparing for the trial will start on 29 February and will continue for six nights.

Conservative councillor Liam Walker said at the time of the decision that the filters would be "hitting residents' pockets and impacting businesses" - but Liberal Democrat councillor Judy Roberts said the new measures would reduce traffic and make it easier to get around the city.

The trial will see traffic filters placed on Hythe Bridge Street, Thames Street, St Cross Road, St Clements, Hollow Way and Marston Ferry Road.

The council said the filters did not have physical barriers but the restrictions would be enforced by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

Ms Roberts said the council was preparing to begin the trial when improvements to the railway station are completed in the autumn.

She said the filters "complement other measures in Oxford aimed at improving buses, taxis, walking and cycling" and that disruption would be kept to a minimum as "work is done to install signs and electrics over the coming months".

The council said the trial would reduce traffic on Magdalen Bridge