£5 CONGESTION CHARGE COULD HIT OXFORD’S DRIVERS BY AUTUMN – The proposed scheme would be enforced by automatic number plate recognition cameras
Oxford is making headlines once again as the historic university city could soon become the first place in over two decades to impose a new congestion charge, adding yet another layer to what many are now calling a full-blown “war on motorists.”
Under a newly proposed scheme by Oxfordshire County Council, drivers could be slapped with a £5 daily charge just for entering the city centre. While officials are calling the plan “temporary,” many locals see it as anything but.
If enforced, Oxford would join only two other UK cities—London and Durham—that have congestion charges in place, and this one could begin as soon as this autumn.
The proposed scheme would be enforced by automatic number plate recognition cameras, placed strategically at six key entry points into the city. While Oxford residents with a permit may be exempt, anyone travelling in for work, shopping, or tourism would have to pay the fee—a move that’s sparked strong backlash.
Supporters of the charge argue it would help ease congestion and improve public transport—but critics are questioning whether punishing drivers is the right way to go about it, especially in a city already labelled one of the most congested in the UK.
This move follows a string of controversial traffic control measures in Oxford: from bus gates and LTNs to parking crackdowns. Many residents and commuters say they’re being priced and pushed out of their own city.
