The two largest bus operators serving Oxford are among parties that are jointly supporting plans for a temporary congestion charge in the city.
The proposal has been made by Oxfordshire County Council (OCC) to help to improve traffic speeds, with one local bus chief calling the current situation a “congestion emergency.”
Stagecoach West and Go-Ahead-owned Oxford Bus Company have joined forces with taxi operators and active travel groups in the city to back the proposals against a backdrop of traffic speeds having dropped by up to almost 20% since 2022.
Key to the need for a congestion charge is an extended closure of Botley Road as part of development work by Network Rail at Oxford railway station. It is now expected to reopen in August 2026.
A long-term approach to speeding bus journeys and reducing congestion across Oxford is the ‘traffic filters’ project to limit through car traffic on small sections of road, with camera enforcement but no physical barriers. It has been postponed due to the Botley Road closure.
OCC opened a six-week consultation on the proposed temporary congestion charge on 23 June. It is expected to be introduced this autumn. Cars without a permit would pay a daily charge of £5 to pass through six designated charging locations. All other vehicles – including coaches and buses – would be exempt.
Existing infrastructure and systems for the traffic filters project will be used to administer the congestion charge.
Surplus income would go towards travel improvements including buses. OCC Cabinet Member for Transport Management Andrew Gant notes that the proposal has come about following “calls for urgent improvement from bus companies and others.”
Oxford Bus Company, Stagecoach West and their partners will submit a joint letter to OCC supporting the proposal. They are seeking a multimodal future for the city and for creation of more road space for people to share.
Says Stagecoach West Managing Director Chris Hanson: “We welcome the opportunity to unify our message with those of other transport modes and companies.
“Congestion in Oxford is at an all-time high and some of our services are almost 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.”
Oxford Bus Company MD Luke Marion adds: “All of the city’s key travel groups are unified in our position that the proposals are vital to help tackle the city’s congestion emergency.
“We need urgent measures to help buses and other modes of transport to run more reliably for the benefit of everyone. Any money raised from the scheme would be ringfenced and reinvested in improving public transport.”
