Oxfordshire County Council has approved a traffic filter scheme set to begin in 2026, which will restrict private car access through six key locations without a permit. Permits will allow up to 100 days of use per year, while all other vehicles, including buses and bicycles, will be exempt. The scheme aims to encourage public transport and cycling, but has sparked controversy and misinformation online.
The traffic filters are not part of a '15-minute city' concept, despite being linked to such theories by some critics. The 15-minute city idea, originally an urban planning concept, aims to provide basic services within a 15-minute walk or bike ride, reducing car traffic and emissions. Councils like Oxford, Canterbury, Ipswich, and Birmingham have incorporated it into policy, but no council plans to restrict movement beyond a 15-minute radius.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper criticised the misuse of 15-minute city concepts at the Conservative Party conference, claiming some councils 'ration who uses the roads and when' and police it with CCTV. However, the creator of the 15-minute city, Carlos Moreno, urged the government to reconsider, stating that associating the concept with liberty-restricting measures aligns with 'anti-democratic elements'.
Online conspiracy theories have falsely claimed the schemes are designed to control populations and trap people in their homes. Oxfordshire County Council has publicly dismissed these claims, emphasising that the traffic filters are a separate measure to reduce traffic and improve air quality, not a plot to confine residents.
