Site of cyclist's death gets ANPR camera

The Plain has undergone various safety improvements in recent years

A camera aimed at preventing motorists from carrying out a manoeuvre on a city centre roundabout where a cyclist was killed has been installed.

The automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera at The Plain in Oxford will enforce a ban on drivers making a left turn from Cowley Road on to Iffley Road.

Oxfordshire County Council said that despite existing restrictions, many motorists had still been using the "dangerous" left turn.

The measures are part of wider safety updates to the roundabout implemented following the death of Dr Ling Felce in March 2022.

Motorists who break the rule face a £70 fine - reduced to £35 if it is paid within three weeks.

Cyclists will still be allowed to make the sharp turn.

The new camera will hand out fines of up to £70

Cllr Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for transport management said: “This is an extra measure to help improve safety at The Plain for all road users, especially the most vulnerable such as pedestrians and cyclists.

“This is a very busy roundabout and the banned left turn is a road safety hazard, which increases the risks for all road users."

Safety improvements to The Plain were carried out in late 2022, with loading restrictions implemented the following year.

They followed the death of Dr Felce, who was hit by a lorry being driven by Robert Whiting on the roundabout.

Whiting, who had taken cocaine and was uninsured, was jailed for eight years.

The new camera has been funded by the authority's Vision Zero programme, which aims to eliminate all road deaths and serious injuries by 2050.