The UK’s “worst road wars” were exposed in the BBC series Panorama, Neighbourhood Traffic Chaos. Reporter Justin Rowlatt revealed that the “most abused” and hated traffic bollard in the UK is located on a residential street in Oxford. A local resident explained that the bollard is now “famous” after so many people have vandalised it.
The neighbour explained: “Someone tried to set fire to it. They did something with petrol and it kind of all went up in flames one night.
“It’s been run over. It’s been smashed up, it’s been lifted up, it’s been taken away, it’s had all kinds of adventures.”
The bollard was installed last year but it has been the subject of “drivers’ fury” who find it blocking their way for months.
The purpose of bollards is to block cars in low-traffic neighbourhoods, or LTNs, and can be found in many cities across the country.
READ MORE: E10 petrol changes to be rolled out across Ireland this April
Oxford was actually the first city in the UK to introduce LTNs due to an increase in the number of private cars.
However, traffic bollards can be “massively dividing”, as Richard Parnham from Reconnecting Oxford explained.
“They are setting neighbour against neighbour when previously there were no rows. You have people falling out with each other. It’s really torn the city apart,” he said.
The documentary showed a video of a furious driver yelling at local residents who were blocking her way standing in for another stolen bollard.
“Excuse me, I said to move now! Just go!” the woman shouted. She then got off the car and started yelling at the residents.
“I will get the fine. It’s not my business, move! I’m late, I need to go to work. I’ve got a life, I’ve got kids!”
According to the experts, confrontations of this type have become very common in Oxford since the traffic bollards were installed.
The reporter added: “I’ve been to meet locals there who believe the scheme will reduce congestion and pollution – and others who want the freedom to drive wherever they want.”
READ MORE: Drivers told to ‘stand your ground’ when claiming for pothole damage
Last year, neighbours were also seen acting as human bollards on a residential street in Oxford after the traffic bollard was continuously destroyed.
Member of Oxfordshire Liveable Streets, Robin Tucker, explained: “We can’t allow vandals to make our streets less safe for vulnerable users like children, older people and cyclists.
“It’s really important to maintain law and order and get the bollards replaced quickly with a design that is tamper-proof.
“We’re happy to do our bit to support and protect residents, but it can’t be up to groups like ours to police the streets,” he told MailOnline.
Another neighbour, Patrick Gray OBE, commented back then: “This road used to be called Divinity Road and it has now turned into Divinity Motorway – if this was a village it would have had a bypass by now.
“There are a group of young men who drive up and down the road at 45mph and for old people, that’s very frightening. There was so much traffic before and almost every day there was a blockage of two dozen cars.
“I have lived here since 1975 and we are a community – we understand people have got to get about, but pedestrians and cyclists should be able to get around too.
“When the LTN was first introduced, there was a period where a group of people tried to sabotage it. There were solid bollards there but they were broken off and smashed up. Cones kept getting put up and bollards replaced but then they are taken away.”
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Automobiles News Click Here
