Britain’s first zero emission zone (ZEZ) will begin in Oxford on 28 February 2022, aiming to reduce air pollution in the city and encourage people to make changes in travel behaviour.
The pilot will launch in a small number of streets in the city centre and all petrol and diesel vehicles, including hybrids, will incur a daily charge unless eligible for a discount or exemption.
Zero-emission vehicles, such as electric cars, can enter the pilot area free of charge.
The charge will vary from £2 to £10 per day depending on the emission levels of the vehicle. ANPR cameras are being installed to enforce rules within the zone.
The ZEZ pilot will allow Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council to gain useful insights before introducing a larger ZEZ covering most of Oxford city centre next year, subject to further public consultation.
While many cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol and Bath have already introduced or are in the process of introducing clean air zone restrictions and charges for vehicles, Oxford will be the first city in Britain to introduce a ZEZ.
Councillor Tom Hayes, deputy leader and cabinet member for green transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, Oxford City Council, said: “The city council has 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.
“We have high ambition matched with a pragmatic desire to work with anyone and listen to a range of views; that’s how you meet the climate crisis and clean our dirty air and deliver social justice at the same time.”
The facility to make ZEZ payments will be live on the county council’s website on the first day of the pilot. From 28 February, ZEZ charges for driving a polluting vehicle can be paid up to six days in advance, on the day the vehicle is driven in the zone, and up to six days after the vehicle has been driven inside the zone.
