Bicester's Traffic Action Group (TAG) has spent time gathering a great deal of information to back up its concerns.

The community group has highlighted fears for for the future of traffic in the town by looking at the likely impact of a number of major developments.

By doing so it is giving residents confidence that someone is addressing their worries and fighting their corner.

We have already seen that community groups can play a vital role in prompting change in Bicester with the successful lobby for high-speed broadband at Kingsmere.

And is positive to see that Bicester TAG is not necessarily against the major developments in the town, which promise to bring many jobs, homes and schools.

Instead it is lobbying to ensure Bicester can cope with the massive changes it faces and that the necessary infrastructure is in place before 2019, when it warns of “carmageddon” if nothing is done.

The various levels of local government are working to address several of the issues, such as the possibility of the London Road level crossing closing for up to 45 minutes every hour.

There is no doubt that Bicester needs vital road works to cope with the inevitable demand and pressure that the town’s road will face in 10 years time.

With 13,000 new homes being built, a new business park and an expanded Bicester Village, the town is certain to grow in population, cars and congestion.

It is how we plan for that now that will determine whether the town’s expansion is a failure or a success.

We have taken the first step forward with work recently starting at the site for the town’s new £3.5m park-and-ride.

The new parking facility, funded by Bicester Village, which will bring a much-needed 580 spaces to the town. This will hopefully help ease congestion by taking people off the roads and on to connecting buses, while also seeing Bicester Village traffic diminish considerably with the extra spaces also being created within its expansion plans.

With community groups such as Bicester TAG giving residents a collective voice it can help all parties work together to find solutions.