Oxford businesses have voiced fierce opposition to plans for a temporary congestion charge, accusing Oxfordshire County Council of penalising motorists and harming local trade.
The proposed measure, due to be discussed by the council’s cabinet on 17 June, would introduce a £5 daily fee for driving through key routes in Oxford without a permit during designated hours.
The scheme is intended to reduce traffic as an interim step ahead of the delayed traffic filter trial, now pushed back to August 2026 to align with the expected reopening of Botley Road.
The roads affected include Hythe Bridge Street, St Cross Road, Thames Street and St Clement’s Street daily from 7.00am to 7.00pm, and Marston Ferry Road and Hollow Way on weekdays and Saturdays between 7.00am to 9.00am and 3.00pm to 6.00pm. These are the same locations earmarked for the longer-term traffic filters.
Read more: Temporary congestion charge proposed for Oxford as council seeks urgent fix for traffic crisis
However, the congestion charge proposal has met with strong opposition from local business representatives, according to our Local Democracy Reporter Esme Kenney.
Bernadette Evans, spokesperson for the Oxford Business Action Group, said:
“There are unprecedented economic headwinds facing small business owners in Oxford, so you’d think any council worth its salt would be doing all it can to support us.
But instead, they’ve decided to make it harder for customers to reach our valuable shops and small businesses by imposing what to all intents and purposes is a tax to drive around Oxford.
The consequences of what they’re proposing will be devastating for many business owners who are only just about hanging on.”
Evans also questioned the need for a charge at all, arguing:
“There is no congestion in Oxford for at least half the year, and much of the congestion which does occur is manufactured by the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs).
This is just another tax on our customers no matter how the council dresses it up.
Unfortunately, it’s the kind of thoughtlessness about the impact on Oxford’s valuable small businesses which we’ve come to expect from this high-handed council.
This is incredibly disappointing.”
If cabinet members approve the recommendation on 17 June, a six-week public consultation will launch on 23 June. Subject to the outcome, the scheme could come into effect in autumn 2025.
