FAQs

It’s a system of six congestion charge locations in Oxford. The charge would apply only to cars. 

The proposed temporary congestion charge would be a way to reduce traffic in Oxford while Botley Road remains closed, and we are unable to implement the traffic filters trial.  

The scheme would replicate the traffic filters scheme in all aspects except that cars without a permit would have the option to pay a daily charge. 

The charge would be payable only once per day, regardless of how many times you passed through a congestion charge location. Cars with a permit would be able to pass through without paying the charge. 

All other vehicles would be exempt and be able to pass through the congestion charge locations for free at all times. 

The permits for car drivers would be the same as for the trial traffic filters, with two additional, temporary central Oxford residents and commuters’ permits (see below). 

Like with the traffic filters, the temporary congestion charge scheme would be enforced by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras. Advance warning signs and traffic signs would indicate the congestion charging locations. 

The temporary congestion charge locations would be the same points on six roads in the city as the six trial traffic filters will be: 

The congestion charge locations and timings would be same as the trial traffic filters. 

The proposed daily charge is £5. 

The charge would be payable only once per day, and only by car drivers without a permit. You would be able to drive through multiple charge locations per day, or any one location multiple times per day. 

We’re proposing this scheme because the ongoing closure of Botley Road means we can’t yet implement our traffic filters trial.  After Botley Road reopens, expected to be end of August 2026, we should be able to introduce the traffic filters trial, but this may not happen immediately. 

If approved, the temporary congestion charge scheme would be in place for no longer than two years.

In most cases, yes. The congestion charge would apply only to cars passing through a point on the road. The points would be exactly the same as the planned traffic filter points. 

The St Cross Road, St Clement's Street, Hollow Way and Marston Ferry Road charging locations can all be avoided by taking a different route. 

This means most of the city would remain accessible for free at all times for cars without a permit, except an area of the city centre known as the “central permit area” - zoom in to the purple area on the map. This area would only be accessible by passing through a congestion charge location (either Hythe Bridge or Thames Street) due to the continued closure of the Botley Road to motorised traffic. Free permits are being proposed for residents, their visitors and commuters in this area. ‘Commuter’ means people whose workplace parking is located in the “central permit area”. 

The two schemes would be independent from each other.  

The zero emission zone (ZEZ) is a small area in the city centre where all petrol and diesel vehicles, including hybrids, incur a daily charge if they are driven in the zone between 7am and 7pm unless they have a 100 per cent discount or exemption. Fully electric vehicles can drive for free in the ZEZ. 

The temporary congestion charge would apply to all cars, but only cars without a permit. 

If you drove into the city centre through a congestion charge location without a permit during the charging hours, you would need to pay the daily charge of £5.  If your journey involves driving in the ZEZ in a petrol or diesel vehicle you’d also need to pay the ZEZ charge.

Any vehicle that is not a car will be automatically exempt from the temporary congestion charge and will not need to apply for a permit. There will be no charge to pay for these vehicles.  

If a vehicle looks like a car, it is usually classed as one by the DVLA. However, if in any doubt, the DVLA’s vehicle checker can be used. If the “Vehicle type approval” in the DVLA checker is “M1” the vehicle is a car and will need a permit to pass through the congestion charge location without paying a charge. If the vehicle type in the DVLA checker is anything other than ‘M1’, no permit is required. If it’s blank, you (or the registered keeper, if that’s not you) will need to check the vehicle’s V5C document.  Note that motorhomes are often classed as M1, and would need to pay the charge. 

A full list of permits and details about who is eligible are available under Documents on this site. 

Don’t forget though, that even if you are not eligible for a permit to drive your car through a charge location for free, you can still drive through by paying the £5 daily charge (and this charge means you can also drive through the other charge locations as many times as you want on the same day). Or (in most cases) you can get to your destination by car by taking a different route avoiding the charge locations.  

You would be able to apply for and manage your permit online. For people unable to apply online, help will be available by telephone through our Customer Service Centre.  

You will need to provide evidence of your eligibility, for example, proof of address, holding a Blue Badge, or working as a health or care worker. 

If you used up all your day passes, you could either pay the £5 charge or take an alternative route, where available. Residents in the Oxford permit area would have 100 day passes per year and residents in the Oxfordshire permit area would have 25 day passes per year, just like in the planned traffic filters trial.  

It should be noted that almost everywhere in Oxford would still remain accessible by car even without a permit and without paying the charge. The exemption to this would be the proposed temporary central Oxford permit area. 

The residents’ permits would be valid for 12 months (or until the scheme ends). The start date would be the date the application is approved, and the permit would expire 1 year on from then, subject to the scheme still being in operation.  

During the early registration period, the start date of the permit would default to the start date of the temporary congestion charging points so that the applicant would get a full year from when the scheme commences. After that, the system would be changed so that the start date will be the permit approval date.  

We are proposing a temporary central Oxford permit area - zoom in to the purple area on the map. Unlimited day passes would be available for residents’ own vehicles, along with 50 visitor day passes per year for their visitors. Regular users of workplace parking in this area would also be eligible for a permit (a letter from the employer confirming eligibility will be required). The permit would allow for free access through all six charging locations as long as the scheme is in place. 

Other drivers accessing this area by car would need to pay the daily charge of £5 when driving through the charge locations unless they had another type of valid permit. 

Once the temporary congestion charge scheme ends and traffic filters trial begins, residents and other permit holders would be able to apply for a traffic filter permit. We intend to make this as quick and easy as possible: you’d be able to use your existing account and would not need to re-upload the proofs of your eligibility for a permit. 

Residents’ permit ‘counter’ would revert to the full number of day passes and the start date of the permit would be the start date of the traffic filters trial.  

An equalities impact assessment (EIA) has been carried out for the proposals. 

Permits to drive through the congestion charge location without a charge would be available for Blue Badge holders, carers and many other groups, just like in the planned traffic filters trial. See all permits under Documents. 

We would expect health and care workers as well as non-professional carers to benefit from faster and more convenient journeys, thanks to reduced congestion.  

Permits to travel for free through the congestion charge locations would be available for professional or voluntary community health and care workers and for non-professional carers, just like in the traffic filters trial. 

The impacts are expected to be similar to traffic filters – i.e. positive overall.  You can see more details in the Business Impact Assessment under Documents on this site. 

The purpose of the temporary congestion charge scheme it is to reduce traffic congestion which negatively impacts businesses and services in Oxford. 

Commercial vehicles, including vans and heavy goods vehicles, would be exempt from the congestion charge.  

Businesses that undertake deliveries or are reliant on deliveries should benefit due to the reduction in traffic and improved journey times experienced by commercial vehicles.  

Improved and discounted bus services would benefit bus users and bus operators. 

Most visitors to Oxford city centre don’t come by car, but those who do, should benefit from reduced congestion. No route in Oxford would be prohibited for cars; people could either use a permit, pay the £5 charge or take an alternative route. 

Decisions about suspending the congestion charge in any given location would be made by the Network Management team at Oxfordshire County Council. The charge would only be suspended in exceptional circumstances. Conditions where the charge could be suspended are:  

There are significant uncertainties in the income forecast, but net income after operating costs could total £3.5m - £4m per year. 

The primary purpose of the scheme is however to ease traffic congestion while Botley Road is closed, while we are unable to start the traffic filters trial. 

Income generated by the temporary congestion charge would be used to cover the set-up and operating costs of the scheme. Any surplus income would be used to deliver transport improvements for people travelling into and around Oxford, including: 

The council has committed to addressing congestion in the short term after our plan to implement six trial traffic filters was postponed due to the ongoing closure of Botley Road. Bus services in the city are getting worse. On Abingdon Road, bus journey times increased by up to 17 per cent following the closure of Botley Road. Urgent action is needed to reduce the impact of congestion on the bus network and prevent further deterioration of bus services.

We have also committed to a 10 per cent improvement in bus productivity by the end of 2025. Significant citywide transport changes are required to meet this. When the Enhanced Bus Partnership Plan was written, it was assumed the trial traffic filters would deliver most of the 10 per cent improvement.

We have modelled the proposed scheme with a £3 and a £5 daily charge. Both charges would reduce traffic and generate income for transport improvements, but the £5 charge is expected to provide more traffic reduction benefits and income.  The net income (above the costs of administrating the scheme) will be reinvested into improving transport, for example subsidising bus services and parking at park and ride sites.  

The proposed temporary congestion charge is much lower than London's congestion charge, which is a very different scheme, costing £15. There are many more exemptions and permits available in the proposed temporary Oxford scheme. 

We’ve considered various options to improve the transport system while we wait for the trial traffic filters. 

If traffic filters were implemented while Botley Road is closed, cars without permits would be unable to access parts of the city centre without contravening a traffic regulation order. With the proposed temporary congestion charging scheme, cars would be able pass through a charging location without a fine by paying the daily charge.  

Implementing the traffic filters while Botley Road is closed would also complicate the trial's detailed evaluation. Introducing the trial during the Botley Road closure would not provide meaningful data.