Today, Radio 4, 31 March 2021

Complaint

During an interview with Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party in England and Wales, Nick Robinson said 鈥渕ore and more councils are doing these low traffic neighbourhoods where you don鈥檛 even have those exemptions do you? You cannot use your car鈥.聽 A listener complained that it was untrue to suggest that cars were excluded from low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs).聽 The ECU considered the complaint in the light of the 大象传媒鈥檚 editorial standards of due accuracy.


Outcome

Although LTNs restrict the use of cars, they do not exclude them, and the statement 鈥淵ou cannot use your car鈥 did not meet the 大象传媒鈥檚 standards of accuracy as they apply to news programmes of this kind.聽 However, the ECU noted that 大象传媒 News had posted the following on the Corrections and Clarifications page of the 大象传媒 website:

In a reference to the introduction by some councils of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) we said that 鈥榶ou cannot use your car鈥.

While LTNs do restrict access to stop through traffic, vehicles can still be used, though some journeys will be less direct and may take longer.

In the ECU鈥檚 judgement, this sufficed to resolve the issue of complaint.

Resolved