NEIGHBOURS near Bicester Village are not convinced parking bans and marshalls will prevent the usual Boxing Day traffic chaos.

The retail outlet, police and Oxfordshire County Council have come up with a series of schemes to tackle long queues and shoppers’ parked cars clogging up local streets.

Neighbours have complained since at least 2009 about being blocked in their streets on Boxing Day.

And just last month ‘Black Friday’ – reputedly the busiest Christmas shopping day – saw queues stretching back on to the A34 and M40.

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Bicester Village is hoping to get temporary traffic orders banning parking in nearby streets with the threat of fines and vehicles being towed away. There are also be electronic signs to give information on spaces and point drivers to park and ride facilities.

The new signs and traffic management company marshals to direct traffic were used for the first time on Saturday, December 6.

But Kingsclere Road resident Ray Holton, 63, whose street is regularly busy with parked cars, said: “It is all very well to say that but at the end of the day there is just not adequate parking facilities.

“The excuse for Black Friday is the same excuse for every year. It was chaos.

“It is difficult enough on a Saturday or Sunday as you can not go anywhere.”

Ray Road mum-of-two Michelle Hilton, 29, said: “I do not think the fine is going to really work, people are not going to care.”

Oxford Mail:

  • Shoppers at Bicester Village on Black Friday

The owner of Flower Petals of Bicester flower shop added: “They have traffic lighting out now and cones out but people do not care.

“I can not see it making much of a difference they just need to get a bigger car park rather than extend like they are planning.”

Sergeant Steve Willis, from Bicester Police Station, said: “We saw the problems first hand on Black Friday and have listened to the feedback from the community.

“I believe we have now got the foundations in place to tackle these issues.”

Banbury MP Sir Tony Baldry said: “I think everyone at Bicester Village recognised that the situation that they had on ‘Black Friday’ was unacceptable and should not happen again.

“So I very much welcome the fact that Bicester Village are making every effort to ease congestion.”

Graham Brogden, co-chairman of the Kingsmere Residents Association in Bicester, said: “We welcome the measures.

“We understand the measures and hope that it is not the same marshals being used that were responsible for the security fiasco at the 2012 London Olympics.”

Bicester Village has 593 spaces and there are plans for a 600-space park and ride on the A41 near junction 9.

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