Oxford’s £5-a-day congestion charge has been replaced by traffic filters that restrict cars without permits on six roads during set hours.
The trial began on 28 September 2026 under an experimental traffic regulation order operated by Oxfordshire County Council, the highway authority for Oxford. Unlike the temporary charge, which ran from 29 October 2025 and allowed drivers to pay to pass, the filters do not offer a payment option.
Six camera-controlled restrictions
Automatic number plate recognition cameras monitor the restrictions. Hythe Bridge Street, Thames Street, St Clement’s Street and St Cross Road operate daily from 7am to 7pm.
Marston Ferry Road and Hollow Way operate from 7am to 9am and 3pm to 6pm, Monday to Saturday. The restrictions apply throughout the year, including bank holidays.
The scheme covers cars classified by the DVLA as M1, including most motorhomes, as well as hackney carriages and private hire cars. Vans, lorries, motorbikes and buses can pass without restriction. Emergency and military vehicles are exempt, while some highway and utility works vehicles may also qualify.
Free permits and penalties
Residents in the Oxford permit area can receive 100 day passes a year, while other Oxfordshire residents can receive 25. The council has 20 permit categories, including provisions for Blue Badge holders, community health and care workers, unpaid carers, frequent hospital patients and some school students with special educational needs.
Permits are virtual and do not require a windscreen display. More than 129,000 permits issued under the congestion charge were transferred to the trial in most cases, although some permits linked to the former central permit area did not transfer.
A penalty charge of £70 applies to unauthorised journeys, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days and increased to £105 after 28 days. During the first six months, a vehicle’s first unauthorised trip will result in a warning notice rather than a fine.
The council says all parts of Oxford, including its hospitals, remain accessible by car without passing through a filter following the reopening of Botley Road on 20 September 2026. Some journeys will require alternative routes.
Monitoring and future decision
Oxfordshire County Council reported that traffic during the congestion charge period fell by 12% at Folly Bridge, 8% at Magdalen Bridge and 5% on Abingdon Road in June 2026. It also recorded increased traffic or longer journeys on parts of the outer roads and ring road.
Park-and-ride use in July 2026 was 44% higher at Redbridge, 33% higher at Oxford Parkway and 31% higher at Seacourt than a year earlier. The council also cited Oxford Bus Company figures showing around 41,000 additional passenger journeys a week across the county, an increase of about 12%.
The trial is estimated to cost £6.56m and is funded by the Government. The council says it will publish monitoring data monthly.
Gareth Epps, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for transport management, described the trial as “the next step in helping us tackle congestion that has blighted the city for decades”.
Public consultation on the scheme runs until 11.59pm on 28 March 2027. The council’s cabinet will consider the trial at a public meeting before the experimental order expires, although no decision date has been set.