Key points as Oxford's Zero Emission Zone gets underway

For now, the ZEZ scheme only covers a handful of streets in the city centre – the majority of which are closed to traffic during the day anyway.

However, if you want to park on New Inn Hall Street, Ship Street or St Michael’s Street you’ll have to pay a daily charge unless your vehicle is completely electric.

Why is the council doing it?

The Zero Emission Zone is the first scheme of its type in the country.

The county and city councils hope that it will encourage people to give up their cars – and will improve air quality in the city centre.

Cllr Duncan Enright, county council cabinet member for travel, said last month: “We will learn from the pilot and in the coming months we will consult with local communities as we develop plans to expand the ZEZ across the city centre. We hope that residents, businesses and visitors will join us in our journey towards a carbon neutral future.”

Cllr Tom Hayes of Oxford City Council said: “[We have] chosen to set the toughest air quality standards of any local authority in the country. There is no safe level of air pollution. As the chair of the Zero Carbon Oxford Partnership we set up, the city council has helped to establish a data-led, science-based target of creating a net zero city by 2040.”

Which streets are covered by the ZEZ?

Drivers of all petrol and diesel vehicles, including hybrid cars, motorbikes and vans, will be charged a daily rate if they are driven in the ‘zone’ between 7am and 7pm.

That zone encompasses: Bonn Square, Queen Street, Cornmarket, part of Market Street, Ship Street, St Michael’s Street, New Inn Hall Street and Shoe Lane.

How much does it cost and how do I pay?

Charges for driving within the zone will vary depending on your vehicle and the fees can be paid via the county council’s website.

The majority of vehicles will have to pay £10 a day – rising to £20 from August 2025. Low emission vehicles that meet the Euro 4/IV petrol or 6/VI diesel standard will be charged £4 from Monday. The charge is £2 a day for ultra-low emission vehicles, which emit less than 75g/km of CO2.

 Zero emission vehicles will not pay the charge.

Discounts will be available for Blue Badge holders, taxi drivers, residents, students moving in or out of halls of residence and others.

Classic cars – or at least those that qualify for a historic vehicle tax exemption – are currently set to receive a ‘100 per cent discount’, meaning they won’t pay the charge.

How much are the fines?

The scheme will be policed by a network of traffic cameras, which will log vehicles’ registration plates.

Fines are set at £60, although the fine will be half that if it’s paid within 14 days of the letter being sent by the council.

Failure to pay within 28 days will result in the fine being upped to £90.

When will it be rolled out?

The wider roll-out is expected to happen in 2023. Much of the city centre is expected to fall into the ZEZ.

What do businesses think?

Last week, Graham Jones of Oxford business group Rox said traders were ‘appalled’ by the plans.

Michael Keirs, owner of St Michael’s Street booksellers Arcadia, told the Oxford Mail yesterday: “The feedback we are getting just from the occasional people is that the message is that Oxford is out of bounds unless you have an electric vehicle.”

Opposite Arcadia, Three Goats Heads’ landlord Alan Backshall was neutral. “It’s not really going to affect us in the way it is going to affect other people. At least it will get rid of the motorbikes [on the pedestrianised section of St Michael’s Street], which means people can sit out on the street without worrying about bikes running them over.”

Sha Ali, manager of Repair My Phone Today on New Inn Hall Street, said the ZEZ pilot could have an impact on the business. His customers typically parked up outside the shop and dropped off their phones.

Around the corner, on Cornmarket Street, Jane Roberts was handing out flyers for Extinction Rebellion. She was in favour of the ZEZ scheme, she said. “I would like to see it expanded. It [will] reduce pollution in the centre.”

Backed by health groups

Tim Dexter of charity Asthma + Lung UK said the campaign group supported the ZEZ. “[This] could be a watershed moment for tackling air pollution, setting the level of ambition other local authorities should be aiming for in dealing with the UK’s toxic air crisis,” he said.

“Air pollution can create new lung conditions and cause existing ones to worsen including triggering life-threatening asthma attacks.

“With more than 11,000 people living in the Oxford city area have lung diseases like asthma and COPD, this new move could help prevent hospitalisation or even death from exposure to toxic air.”

What do you think of the plans?

Let us know in the comments.

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