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Residents living along the B430 in Oxfordshire have called for the southbound truck ban to be extended to cover the northbound carriageway too. The B430 can be used as a short cut from the A34 to J10 of the M40 the A34 joins the M40 at J9. Local resident John Mair, who is founder of the B430 Action Group, says: "There was a temporary northbound ban in place but it was lifted because the county council said that improvements to J9 [of the M40] would make a difference. But now that improvement scheme  has been shelved." Mair adds that he conducted a survey three years ago which found that on average one LGV travels along the B430 every 90 seconds.

"To prevent the road being used as a rat run I believe there should be restrictions allowing delivery vehicles only," he adds. "There is already a restriction banning any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes travelling southbound, and it doesn't make sense that there isn't a similar ban on the northbound carriageway." Roger O'Neill, principal planning officer at Oxfordshire County Council, says: "The B430 is one of 13 rural roads for which the county council intends to introduce measures to discourage through and/or heavy traffic over coming years. The proposed treatment of the B430 is to downgrade it to unclassified status and introduce a northbound weight restriction.

"However the most appropriate measure will need to be investigated further as the scheme is developed, taking into consideration anything that has occurred since our  original study was carried out such as the Highways Agency's recent decision on J9." O'Neill adds that the county council hopes to publish a more detailed programme for these schemes later this year.