Drivers have been warned of 24-hour traffic lights as highways work starts this month to prepare for the six traffic filters trial in Oxford.

Starting on June 24, the council’s contractors will prepare foundations for traffic signs near the filter points at Hollow Way, Hythe Bridge St, St Cross Road, St Clements, Marston Ferry Road and Thames Street.

The work will be carried out off the carriageway, with temporary traffic signals in place 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the duration of the works at each traffic filter site.

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Work is expected to take between four and eight days on most sites.

The £6.5m trial starting in November 2024 only restricts cars.

All other types of vehicles can travel through the filters at any time, without a permit.

Car owners in Oxfordshire will be able to register for some free passes to go through the filters. One pass means you will be able to drive through all the filters, as many times as you like, for one day.

Traffic filters will go live in November Traffic filters will go live in November (Image: OCC)

All residents within the Oxford permit area will be able to apply for 100 free passes per car per year for up to three cars per household.

One car owner can’t have multiple sets of passes, and passes can’t be swapped between vehicles.

All Oxfordshire residents who live outside the area will be able to apply for 25 free passes per car per year for up to two cars per household.

In summer 2024, you will be able to register for passes online, by email, or by phone.

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There will be no physical barriers, and everywhere in Oxford will be accessible, said the council.

The filter points on six roads in the city will be enforced by automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

ANPR cameras will be in place ANPR cameras will be in place Any driver going through a filter who is neither exempt nor using a permit will be charged a £70 penalty.

The trial, aimed to reduce congestion, was approved by Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet in March 2022.

Bill Cotton, Oxfordshire County Council’s corporate director for environment and place, said: “Traffic levels and congestion in and around Oxford are high.

“We have to do something about this.

"Our aim is to reduce congestion by trialling camera-operated traffic filters on six roads in the city to help lower the number of private car journeys.

“Traffic filters are part of the central Oxfordshire travel plan and Oxfordshire’s local transport and connectivity plan.

“They are designed to work together with other measures to reduce traffic; make bus journeys faster; allow for new and improved bus routes; make walking and cycling safer; reduce local air pollution; and improve the health and wellbeing of our communities.”