Key transport organisations across the city have united in support of Oxfordshire County Council’s proposed £5 daily congestion charge £5 daily congestion charge

 
Broad coalition of organisations are backing the proposal

 
Making Oxford’s park and ride buses free to use could become a reality if plans for a temporary congestion charge in the city centre go ahead, according to bus bosses backing the proposals.

The idea was floated by Luke Marion, managing director of Go-Ahead subsidiary Oxford Bus Company, as key transport organisations across the city united in support of Oxfordshire County Council’s proposed
£5 daily congestion charge. The council is currently consulting on the plans, with public feedback welcomed until August 3.

The charge has been put forward in response to worsening traffic congestion triggered by the prolonged closure of Botley Road for major upgrade works at Oxford railway station. Planned to take place over two six-month closures, the disruption is now set to last until at least August 2026.

The proposal has drawn support from a broad coalition of organisations, including dominant local bus operators Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach West, the City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association, and active travel campaigners. Last week, they signed a joint letter calling on the council to move forward with the charge, which they say is essential to tackle Oxford’s growing “traffic emergency”.

Data confirms congestion is at emergency levels across Oxford

“If nothing is done to seek to address the problem and achieve real behaviour change in how we all use the road network, then it will continue to gradually get worse and remain broken,” Marion warned. “Data confirms congestion is at emergency levels across Oxford. It is holding the city back, with visitor numbers trending significantly down both on last year, and on the pre-pandemic period.”

A spokesperson for Oxford Bus Company told Passenger Transport that journey times on Abingdon Road have risen by 17% since the closure commenced in the summer of 2023. Meanwhile, the city’s busiest bus route, between Blackbird Leys and the city centre, has slowed by a substantial 33% due to rising congestion since 2013. Peak travel times on the Route 15 corridor between Wood Farm and the centre, have also nearly doubled since 2019.

Marion claimed that Oxford was grinding to a halt as a result of the gridlock and urged the public to back the temporary congestion charge scheme. He added that he believed that if the congestion charge was implemented, it would help reduce traffic, make bus journey times faster and more reliable, enable the delivery of new and improved bus routes, and reduce traffic pollution.

We have some exciting plans on how we can further improve bus services quickly – including looking at some radical ideas

Marion continued: “There have been claims the proposals are using motorists as a cash cow. With a congestion charge scheme, all surpluses generated by the scheme are ring-fenced and can only be used to invest into local transport initiatives, including improving public transport.

“Should the proposal go ahead, we have some exciting plans on how we can further improve bus services quickly – including looking at some radical ideas of our own, such as potentially making park and ride buses free.”

Chris Hanson of Stagecoach West agreed with Marion, warning that some services are nearly 20% slower than in 2022. “Only bold measures, such as the proposed temporary congestion charge, will provide opportunities to speed up buses and other public transport and active travel modes,” he said.

 
This article appears in the latest issue of Passenger Transport.

DON’T MISS OUT – GET YOUR COPY! – click here to subscribe!