Oxfordshire councils pick up prestigious clean air award for ZEZ

The award, in the ‘Clean Air - Projects’ category at the inaugural City Transport and Traffic Innovation (CiTTi) Awards, was given to the councils "for their innovative work to provide direct incentives to reduce pollutions while also investing in sustainable transport infrastructure and encouraging people to make positive changes to their travel behaviour".

CiTTi magazine is distributed to 3,500 subscribers in transportation departments and city and council councils across the UK, central government, public and private sector transport authorities, urban planners and logisticians.

The two councils introduced the ZEZ pilot to Oxford in February 2022.

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Zero emission vehicles such as electric cars can be used in the zone free of charge.

Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras generate charges between £2 and £10 for any vehicles that produce emissions. The charge varies depending on the emission levels of the vehicle.

The prices will double from August 2025.

The first of its kind pilot scheme covers Bonn Square, Queen Street, Cornmarket Street, part of Market Street, Ship Street, St Michael’s Street, New Inn Hall Street and Shoe Lane between 7am and 7pm every day.

It is set to be extended to cover much of the city centre next year, subject to future public consultation. 

Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council said they have worked closely together on planning for the scheme, and have engaged with residents and partners.

A major innovation in operating the ZEZ pilot scheme has been the development of an online vehicle emission checker, date selector and payment portal.

Councillor Duncan Enright, Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy, said: “The ZEZ pilot is the first of its kind in the UK. It is a highly innovative scheme aimed at significantly reducing air pollution and carbon, improving people’s health and shifting transport away from fossil fuel.

"It will help encourage people to make positive changes to their travel behaviour, while still maintaining access by car for those who need it.”

The BBC reported at the start of September that just under £120,000 had been generated in fees and fines for non payment.

Councillor Andrew Gant, the county’s cabinet member for highway management, was asked to clarify how the authority would be spending any surplus.

“The main purpose of the ZEZ is to change behaviour, not to generate income,” he said. 

“By law ZEZ income can only be used to cover the costs of setting up and running the scheme and, if there’s a surplus once these costs have been covered, facilitating the achievement of its local transport policies."

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He added: “It is often said that we are just using these schemes as a cash-generating exercise for the council. I have never been quite sure why people think that is a bad thing but by law, funds raised from transport schemes have to be reinvested in transport schemes.”

Councillor Louise Upton, Oxford City Council cabinet member for Health and Transport said the ZEZ pilot was "a major milestone in our journey as a city to improve air quality and reduce toxic emissions".

"The pilot follows five years of consultation and working closely with businesses and residents, and is something that we are very proud of.

"Air pollution is a major contributor to ill health and early deaths which makes dealing with it so vital. I am delighted that the scheme has been recognised for its innovation and importance in helping to clean up our air.”

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This story was written by Miranda Norris, she joined the team in 2021 and covers news across Oxfordshire as well as news from Witney.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Miranda.Norris@newsquest.co.uk. Or find her on Twitter: @Mirandajnorris

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