Our roads get busier every year, and it’s not just the increased carbon emissions we should be worried about. More cars means more noise, more dead animals and more accidents. And our increasing willingness to drive from our back doors to out-of-town shopping centres has lead to the dramatic decay of local shops and services. A generation ago, school children might have cycled two miles to school; now their parents will drive them because… the roads are not safe.

It’s hard for individuals to break out of this cycle, but through community action we can reverse the trends by organising car-sharing schemes, promoting walking buses, participating in local railway groups and supporting local public transport with our custom. If you’re involved in one of these groups, or you’d like to start one, the Wychwood Network wants to help you. Get in touch and we’ll promote your work, forward your details to like-minded others, and encourage you to come and talk to our members.