Oxford railway station is in the midst of an enormous multi-million pound makeover. And while it promises to bring a brand-new entrance, track and platform and almost 10,000 new jobs (all good things!), the work involved has been somewhat inconvenient for drivers through the city.
Botley Road, one of Oxford’s main roads, has been closed since 2023 for the work on Oxford Station to take place and locals have complained that the resulting traffic has gotten out of hand. Now, a congestion charge in the city centre has officially been approved, in an effort to help ease the queues.
The council hopes that the temporary fee will raise £3.2m, which would go towards further transport improvements in the city. Luke Marion, the managing director of Oxford Bus Company, said the charge was ‘great news for passengers’, will deliver fast journeys and ‘free up all the resource we've got that's currently standing still out in traffic jams out there’.
There is opposition to the charge, though. Pressure group Open Roads for Oxford has said it’ll be launching a legal challenge against the decision. Its chair Paul Major said: ‘The council are simply not listening to the very real and evidence-based concerns being raised, not only through their consultation, but also by people and groups who have raised their concerns at council meetings. This is simply not acceptable.’
Here’s everything you need to know about Oxford’s new congestion charge.
Oxford congestion charge area
Drivers travelling along Hythe Bridge Street, St Cross Road, St Clement's Street and Thames Street between 7am and 7pm Monday to Sunday will be charged, as well as those driving down Marston Ferry Road and Hollow Way from 7am to 9am and 3pm to 6pm Monday to Saturday.
Congestion charge cost
There’ll be a daily charge of £5 for drivers passing through those six points.
Is anyone exempt from the congestion charge?
The charge will only apply to cars. Vehicles such as lorries, motorbikes and vans won’t need to pay or apply for a permit.
Permits will be available to residents of a designated ‘central permit area’ and to groups such as health and care workers, carers, blue badge holders, and mobile traders. Those permits will be free and be valid for a year. Residents of the wider Oxford permit area will also be able to apply for up to 100 day passes, allowing them to drive through the charge locations as many times as they like on a specified day.
When does the congestion charge come into effect?
The council still needs to install the infrastructure needed for the congestion charge, like charging cameras and road signs. It hopes that the scheme will be up and running by November 10.
When will the charge end?
The scheme will be in place until the Botley Road roadworks are complete, which is expected to be in August 2026. If that’s delayed for any reason, the maximum time that the congestion charge can be in place as a temporary measure is two years.
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