After vandals ripped down the physical bollards intended to control traffic on their neighborhood roadway, frustrated people have taken to acting as “human bollards.”
Oxford residents on Divinity Road took matters into their own hands in order to protect cyclists, pedestrians, and children from rule-breaking motorists.
The Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) has established a number of low traffic neighborhoods (LTNs) around the region to prohibit vehicles from cutting through residential areas in an effort to make streets quieter and safer.
This includes the installation of bollards, however the strategy has been criticized for displacing traffic onto more congested roadways.
Many, including those on Divinity Road, have been vandalized, with a number of bollards being cut down and even set on fire across the county.
Now, video footage shows citizens standing in the center of the road to prevent speeding vehicles from passing.
Locals are acting as “human bollards” after vandals took off the physical poles intended to reduce traffic on their residential street.
Oxford residents on Divinity Road took matters into their own hands in order to protect cyclists, pedestrians, and children from rule-breaking motorists.
Locals were captured on video standing in the center of the road in place of the bollards to halt speeding vehicles.
In a number of locations, the contentious Low Traffic Neighbourhood bollards have been removed from the road.
The county council insists it will move on with the LTN plan despite the issue around bollards.
Cllr Andrew Gant, Cabinet Member for Highways Management at OCC, stated, ‘It is regrettable that a small number of individuals have chosen to damage the LTN bollards and their fittings.
We will continue to secure and reinstall all damaged bollards that were violently pushed down or uprooted.
This type of vandalism is a serious criminal offense, and it requires a great deal of time and effort from our traffic cops to rectify.
To guarantee the safety of other road users, it is important to remove damaged bollards and secure the area until a replacement can be installed.
“Therefore, temporary metal plates have been installed at these sites as a precautionary measure while bollards are being repaired or replaced.” They are installed for the protection of motorists and to prevent additional vandalism.
In the interim, we are also examining alternatives for installing heavy duty bollards and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to ensure the continued functionality of LTNs on the ground.
It is not the first time that residents of the county have acted as “human bollards.” Last year, protesters halted automobiles from driving down a restricted street; they claimed they were verbally harassed, threatened, and driven at.
The three activists stood in Oxford’s Oriel Square for an hour and said that approximately 70 vehicles attempted to pass illegally.
A representative stated on Facebook that they were “immediately approached by drivers from all sides who drove towards us and demanded that we move so they could break the law.”