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13 November 2014

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You are in: Oxford > BBC Oxford > Articles > The 'Bill' Board!

Bill Heine

The 'Bill' Board!

BBC Oxford's 'Silver Fox' is never short of an opinion or two. Every Monday you can read all about Mr Heine's latest musings!

GRIDLOCK ON AN UPHILL PLAYING FIELD

The A-40 evening rush hour is usually horrendous, but this past week it was even worse. Traffic going westbound was often stationary and even at 6.00 or 6.30 moved at a snail’s pace.

The stretch of road between Oxford and Witney has several drawbacks: single carriageway, the Wolvercote roundabout, the Cassington lights and the Eynsham roundabout. Add to this mix the relatively new Eynsham bus-priority traffic lights and you have a recipe for gridlock.

Every night on my 4.00 till 7.00 programme I hear from commuters who are furious and fuming. Here’s an example from AG Smith of Carterton: “During the period the lights were inoperative, the homeward journey on the A-40 between the Wolvercote roundabout and the Witney bypass has flowed seamlessly allowing me to complete my 43 mile journey from High Wycombe to Carterton in an average time of 58 minutes. With the lights in operation, journey times fall to an average of 80 minutes, the only log-jam in the trip being the additional 21 minutes to travel from Wolvercote to the Eynsham lights.”

Alan Crowder from Eynsham writes: “On the A-40, we have yet another set of lights at Eynsham (the bus companies wanted them, not us). Rather than having the traffic lights controlling traffic… why not turn them all off for a month and see what happens?”

The current chaos increases pollution, congestion and frustration for the motorists. The benefits go to the bus companies. The lights operate through a technological system of transponders which each bus possesses. The transponder triggers the light to turn red in the evening as the bus approaches from Witney so the bus will have priority and the cars will have to stop.

This arrangement is not only unfair, it’s unworkable. Transport chiefs need to go back to the drawing board and talk to their technology people. In the evening the vast majority of the traffic is coming out of Oxford and returning home to West Oxfordshire, and it’s just the opposite in the morning. Why not deactivate the transponders on the buses coming from Witney in the evening rush hour and towards Witney in the morning?

This would create a level playing field and drivers might even feel that someone was listening to them.

Do you think this is the way forward? Would it defuse the anger that is sweeping down that vital trunk road on the A-40 corridor connecting Oxford with the West? Or do you think the bottleneck is really somewhere else?

last updated: 03/02/2009 at 09:46
created: 03/02/2009

Have Your Say

The BBC reserves the right to edit comments submitted.

Rosemary Waters
I am absolutely outraged to hear that the morning after pill is to be prescribed to 11yrs old in our schools. Haven't we let our children down enough. Thankfully I haven't got any children that age, but if I had, I would take my child out of any school that had this policy. Why haven't parents resisted this policy in their schools? I certainly would have. I think all parents should look carefully at what the school policy is about sex education and if it promotes sex which is what is happening here in Oxford, then they should be doing something about it.

Mark McArthur-Christie
The ex-head of the Transport Research Laboratory at Crowthorne had an axiom our transport planners would find useful - although completely contradictory to their own policies: "The higher the level of interference the poorer the traffic flow."

Richard. L. Heart.
Why not stop bleatting on about this and do something. Bill Heine winds you motorists up . Take on the French approach and blockade the road. The french public always get their way when they take direct action. If Bill is your true champion he will join you on your roadblock. Don`t hold your breath, thats my advice.

Judas
I don`t think Snitching is bad. I had a discussion with a big fish presenter who works for a local Radio Station in middle England. He told me, when talking about his bosses, he told me that.....I`m no Snitch..I think its childish. I bet the openning of this had some folk holding their breath.

Gerald
C. Thatcher. To Snitch or not to Snitch ? I believe that the word Carol used is not important to my mind, I`m comfortable with it. However, Snitches are a pain. At school we had them and perhaps we have all Snitched, but you don`t take that kind of personality flaw into adaulthood, do we ? ..and, why tolerate it ? the Snitch who thought she/he was up for a Blue Peter Badge by grassing up a talented broadcaster needs urgent medical help. Lets stop Snitching. Animals don`t do it.

David brusch
why is it not possible to get town and county tyres like we could in 1960 they where very effective we also had chains that we fitted to the ordinary tyre

Sue from Kennington
Lets have some thanks for all the men/women who have worked really hard to keep the roads clear and the people who have struggled into work for the benefit of others.

Rachel Smith
I completely agree with Alan Crowder. I don't think the buses will be adversely affected during rush hour at all if the lights were off and I think the hundreds of people who have to drive through the lights during rush hour every day will have a much more pleasant journey home and more time to spend with their families!!

Geraldine
Tip:2. If, after you have pre-qualified to be on the show, remember these simple rules. Never interrupt. Don`t expect him to listen, he is probably reading his screen. Give him at least two chances to prattle on about his wonderful life experiences, especially in South America or riding his horse to school. Farmer`s Markets are always a cue for him to start getting lost. Failure to follow these simple rules will immediately prompt Bill to cut to the travel news. Good Luck and good Night.

Simon Hall
I too have to travel home from work past these lights every evening. My journey time from Oxford to witney has increased by on average 15-20 minutes.The eynsham lights also cause the roundabout to be blocked which even slows traffic down on the Long Hanborough to Stanton Harcourt road.I have also seen a could of accidents at the lights which goes against any safety improvement arguement.

Swanee
Dear Bill,Could you show the fastest way and the right direction to Oxford - from here??

Geraldine
Tip: If you want your comment read out or engaged in Bill`s Show submit your comment at least forty eight hours in advance together with your passport number and full medical records.

Gordon
British Broadcasting for British Broadcasters. What nonsense, I only typed this for a reaction. Off to Seattle.

Pat Minns
Hi BillI was in the Algarve in Portugal last week and hardly saw the sun. Today at 2.00 it is like a summers day in Frilford with sun and a blue sky. What bad weather.

Kevin Green
Priority on this stretch of A40 is given to small side roads (Cassington), traffic going to Eynsham (roundabout) and traffic going to Eynsham (lights). Despite travelling up M40/A40 to Witney I go up A44 then through villages of Bladon and Hanborough, which spoils their villages and is further - but quicker

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