Sir – Hugh Jaeger of the Bus Users UK Oxford Group believes (Letters, June 13) that taking buses out of Queen Street would be a mistake.
Some 50 years ago Queen Street was completely closed for roadworks and I could see this from my office window above the street. Because the closure did not seem to be causing any traffic problems and because I chaired the Oxford City Council Highways Committee at that time, I asked the City Engineer, Mr Tom Morris, whether it might be possible to close Queen Street permanently.
After considering this, he replied that it would not be possible, but we might consider closing Cornmarket Street.
On one Saturday and later, on several Saturdays in the run up to Christmas, this was done. Because the trials were a success we now have Cornmarket closed to traffic.
Until we can have little ‘trains’ in central Oxford, like many other tourist cities, (or ‘ox-trollies’ as I have proposed many times), for people who cannot walk far and/or carry heavy purchases, it will not be possible to close Queen Street as well as Cornmarket.
Ann Spokes Symonds, Oxford
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