Oxfordshire’s outgoing congestion charge boss speaks out

The controversial former cabinet member for transport management oversaw the introduction of the heavily debated zero-emission zones and the temporary Oxford congestion charge, set to become traffic filters in August when the Botley Road reopens.

Mr Gant has been hit with personal attacks on social media throughout his time in office, including upon his departure.

These have been criticised even by those who do not necessarily align with him politically, with county councillor Andrew Coles (Labour) calling out a “nasty and negative video” shared by a local political party after Mr Gant’s leaving announcement.

Mr Gant, who remains a Liberal Democrat county and city councillor, said the “abuse” was “not reasonable in a democracy”, adding “it’s unpleasant, it’s unnecessary, it’s unhelpful and I wish it didn’t happen”.

He said: “You have to develop strategies as an individual, and mine is just not to read them.

“I don’t engage with social media at all, I just don’t, that’s been my strategy – and it’s worked.”

Councillor Andrew Gant (Image: Esme Kenney)

He stated that the personal hate “makes no contribution of any kind to the policy” adding, “if those people think that they’re somehow affecting the debate, they’re not”.

Asked if this had an impact on his choice to step away from the role, he said it had, explaining, “it’s a very demanding role for all sorts of reasons, and that is one of the things that makes it demanding, so yes, in a word”.

Mr Gant also thinks the issue of online abuse is getting worse, but it was not the only difficulty he faced in the job.

He called the situation with the ongoing closure of Botley Road for the train station project “a total headache,” saying Network Rail and the minister for transport had “taken on the chin that that was their fault”.

Roadworks in Botley Road (Image: Network Rail)

He said working with central government was the hardest thing he had to deal with, referencing confusion and uncertainty with local government reorganisation as an example.

On the flipside, Mr Gant’s highlight is “seeing the electric buses on our streets”.

Mr Gant believes “they’re a wonderful addition”, but noted that he does not think they could have happened without the congestion charge.

He said: “There are too many demands on Oxford roads, there’s too much traffic on Oxford roads.

“There was before the congestion charge, and there is now and, the county council needs to continue to work on that in a huge variety of different ways, but the benefits that it has brought are significant and will stay, and that’s right.”

He said he has no regrets about the charge, noting that it was not designed “to solve everything”.