Oxford might soon become the first UK city in over 20 years to introduce a new congestion charge — and as you’d expect, not everyone’s on board.
Only London and Durham have had congestion charges since the early 2000s, but now Oxfordshire County Council has put forward a plan to introduce a temporary £5-a-day fee for driving into parts of Oxford's historic city centre. The idea is to cut traffic, improve bus services and help people get around while major roadworks continue to block off key routes like Botley Road (which isn’t due to reopen until August 2026).
But the plan has sparked a row between Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council. The city council says they’ve not been properly involved in the plans so far, accusing the county council of leaving out businesses, residents and even the council itself. Susan Brown, leader of the city council, told The Telegraph: “There has been no engagement with businesses, residents or the city council until today – yet again the city is being done to rather than engaged with in preparing transport proposals.
“We are concerned that this scheme allows people who can afford to do so to buy access to our streets. Those who can’t will struggle.”
Campaigner Clinton Pugh (father of actress Florence Pugh and a former Oxford restaurateur) slammed the proposal even harder, saying it risks turning Oxford into “Singapore” — basically a place where only the rich can afford to drive.
He said, "They want to make it a cycle-only city and it’s going to badly affect businesses. You have got no one in the council who has any business experience and understands the impact of doing this.”
Defending the plan, Councillor Andrew Gant from Oxfordshire County Council argued that something needs to be done quickly to ease travel problems while key roads stay shut: “We must take action for our residents, businesses and visitors while Oxford’s Botley Road remains closed and I look forward to discussing the options with cabinet colleagues.”
Gant also pointed out that this isn’t a copy of London’s congestion charge but something specifically designed for Oxford.
The proposal is still in its early stages. The county council will meet on June 17 to discuss the options, which include starting a public consultation from June 23. If things move forward, the temporary charge could kick in as early as this autumn.
