Oxfordshire County Council is finalising plans to introduce a congestion charge on travel into Oxford as a temporary measure to ease traffic. The congestion charge will only be in place until the Botley Road is re-opened in 2026, allowing a trial of the traffic filter system that was originally planned to tackle congestion.
The temporary congestion charge plan has recently been subject to a public consultation, which closed on 3 August. There were 7,165 responses, with 66% of people being against any congestion charge and 73.9% of people believing it would have a negative impact on them. Concerns were also raised about the impact on local businesses and the fairness of the charge.
The County Council has tried to address some of these concerns in their amended version of the plan, which now recommends free park and ride journeys while the congestion charge is in place. There is also an amendment to make permits available to additional groups, such as ice hockey teams or business vehicles.
This new plan will be discussed at a committee meeting on 27 August, which can be watched by members of the public via a video link (all the details are available here: Agenda for Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, 27 August 2025, 10.00 am | Oxfordshire County Council).
The plan will then be reviewed and approved – or not – by the Cabinet at their meeting on 10 September. This meeting can also be watched via an online link at this webpage: Agenda for Place Overview & Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, 27 August 2025, 10.00 am | Oxfordshire County Council
If approved, the temporary congestion charge would be implemented in the autumn and be in place until Botley Road is re-opened.