The Thames Vally Police force told the Oxford Inquirer today that although it learned a few days ago that Network Rail will enforce a road closure on the Botley Road, it has plans in place to help residents.
A representative said: “We have only recently been informed that there will be no vehicle access to emergency services for the duration of the road closure on Botley Road from April to November for the railway works.”
The spokesperson added: “We have contingency plans in place for a wide range of issues similar to this, so we will be working with our emergency service partners to ensure we maintain our response times to incidents.”
The INQ contacted both the local Fire Brigade and the Ambulance Service for comments but we await their replies.
Meanwhile, on a Facebook page called WestOxfordAccess, local residents said councillors for both the County Council and the City are powerless to take action to mitigate Network Rail’s unilateral decisions.
One resident suggested that the Park and Ride at Seacourt could be used as a temporary place for the Fire Brigade, the Ambulance services and the police to watch over the safety of residents.
Another said that the recently closed One Bar, very close to the end of the Botley Road and near to the station, has parking spaces and a building where logistics could be based, in case of emergencies.
Today, the Oxford Mail reported that there could be deaths because of the Network Rail closure, slated for the 11th of April. Ψ
