11-year-old says her family is being “punished” by Oxford’s congestion charge
Her speech to county councillors was met with a round of applause and several standing ovations.
A pupil has said her family is being “punished” by Oxford’s congestion charge even though they often cycle to school and work, in a speech to county councillors.
Under the scheme, motorists will be charged £5 for driving through six congestion points on roads across the city unless they have a valid permit.
Lydia Jansson, who is 11 years old and is in Year 7, lives in Marston and goes to The Cherwell School.
The school is on Marston Ferry Road, which has a congestion charge point which is active from 7am to 9am and 3pm to 6pm Monday to Saturday.
A motion from the ‘Oxfordshire Alliance’ group calling for the county council to axe the controversial scheme was debated in County Hall on Tuesday afternoon (November 4).
Lydia delivered a speech to councillors at their meeting this morning, urging them to vote in favour of the motion.
She said: “Every day I can, I cycle to school with my friends. The journey we make is about two miles by road.
“My sister cycles to school too, and my dad cycles to work every day.
“But when the weather is dangerous or I am bringing something big and heavy to school, I cannot cycle or walk, and there are no convenient buses.
“You, the county council, have restricted car travel between Marston and The Cherwell School.
“If I need to ride to school my family is either forced to use one of our 100 annual passes, pay a £5 congestion charge, or go on the ring-road which makes my journey more than twice the length in distance and much longer in time in rush hour.
“This is not fair.
“This means those of us in Marston are treated worse than my fellow students and friends from North Oxford. It’s not fair.
“And every residents’ permit my family uses is another permit we can’t use to go see my Grandma and other relatives in Cowley. That is not fair either.
“Also, I would like to make the point that if my dad also owned a car, as my mum does, we would have 200 permits as one family.
“It is like you are punishing my family because my dad is doing what you want him to do.
“I know that’s not what you mean to do, but it is what your congestion charge rules actually do.
“Though, I can’t vote now, I will do in the future, and I will hold my feelings, good or bad, about your decision today.”
Her speech was met with a round of applause and several standing ovations from councillors.
Many other speakers, including business owners and local residents, also gave speeches against the congestion charge, and a number of protestors with banners stood outside County Hall on Tuesday morning.
Some others also spoke about the benefits and urged councillors not to reverse it.
Paul James, CEO of the Rivers Learning Trust which oversees the Cherwell School previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he had “significant concerns” and that some staff were actively considering leaving the school due to the charge.