Temporary congestion charge monitoring data

Monthly data on temporary congestion charge in Oxford.

The data is for a single month.  No firm conclusions can be drawn from such a short monitoring period. Travel patterns and external factors will continue to change, so the figures should be treated with caution.  

About the data

The data originates from various sources. Most data are updated monthly. Although it has been checked for errors, it is published immediately after collection, so minor discrepancies may still be present.

The transport, footfall, and park and ride data compare November 2025 with November 2024, where data is available for both years. The congestion charge is not the only factor that could have caused changes, and in some cases, it may not be the primary factor.

Traffic flows and journey times

Change in traffic volume

Data collected Monday - Friday, 7am - 7pm. November 2025 vs November 2024.

Inner
Location Percentage change
Kingston Road south of Leckford Road -24% 
(Data affected by ongoing roadworks)
Woodstock Road south of Leckford Road 0%
Banbury Road north of Norham Road No data available for November 2025
Magdalen Bridge -6%
Folly Bridge -12%

Data source: Automatic traffic counters and VivaCity multi-modal sensors.

Outer
Location Percentage change
Woodstock Road south of Blandford Avenue No data for November 2024
Marsh Lane north of Horseman Close 2%
London Road east of Lyndworth Close -1%
Garsington Road south-east of John Smith Dr 31%*
Rose Hill south of Newman Road 0%
Botley Road west of Seacourt park and ride 2%
Blackbird Leys Road north-west of Sandy Ln -5%
Banbury Road north of Davenant Road Data not yet available
Horspath Driftway Data not yet available
Abingdon Road south of Weirs Lane -6%

*November 2024 flow much lower than normal due to roadworks.

Data source: Automatic traffic counters and VivaCity multi-modal sensors.

Ringroad
Location Percentage change
A423 southern bypass (Kennington roundabout to Heyford Hill) 3%
A4142 eastern bypass, east of Heyford Hill roundabout No data for November 2024
A4142 eastern bypass (Horspath Driftway to Headington roundabout) 3%
A40 northern bypass, south-east of River Cherwell 4%
A34 Hinksey Hill interchange, southbound offslip No data for November 2025
A34 Botley interchange, southbound offslip 6%
A34 Botley interchange southbound, south of southbound offslip 4%
A34 Peartree interchange, northbound offslip 10%

Data source: Automatic traffic counters and VivaCity multi-modal sensors.

Other sites
Location Percentage change
Hollow Way -20%
Marston Ferry Road -24%
Thames Street -16%
Woodstock Road south of South Parade Data not yet available
Banbury Road south of Marston Ferry Road Data not yet available
Cowley Road -8%
Hythe Bridge Street -33%
Headley Way 5%
St Clements -22%
Iffley Road -5%

Data source: Automatic traffic counters and VivaCity multi-modal sensors.

Change in traffic journey times on selected roads within Oxford ring road, November 2025 vs November 2024

Traffic journey times on selected roads within Oxford ring road
Road 7am – 9am inbound 7am – 9am outbound 4pm – 7pm inbound 4pm – 7pm outbound
Abingdon Road, between Weirs Lane and Thames Street -17% -2% -3% -15%
Woodstock Road, between St Giles and Moreton Road  -4% No data for November 2024 -4% No data for November 2024
Woodstock Road, Moreton Road and Wolvercote roundabout 0% 3% 3% 17%
Banbury Road, between St Giles and Moreton Road 7% 1% 5% -4%
Banbury Road, between Moreton Road and Cutteslowe roundabout 0% 6% 6% 22%
Marston Ferry Road/Cherwell Drive, between Marsh Lane and Banbury Road (inbound = eastbound) -14% -21% -7% -30%
Marsh Lane, between A40 and Cherwell Drive -9% 7% 65% 16%
London Road, between Headington roundabout and Windmill Road -3% 4% 5% 6%
London Road, between Windmill Road and Headley Way -2% 2% 0% -5%
Headington Road/Headington Hill between Headley Way and Marston Road -4% 0% -10% -1%
London Place/St Clements, between Marston Road and The Plain -12% -6% -11% -6%
Cowley Road, between Southfield Road and The Plain -13% -1% -9% 0%
Cowley Road and Oxford Road, between Between Towns Road and Southfield Road 2% 3% -1% -5%
Iffley Road, between Donnington Bridge Road and The Plain -16% -1% -4% -1%
Henley Avenue/Iffley Road between Church Cowley Road and Donnington Bridge Road 5% 4% -2% 2%
Oxford Road/Rose Hill, between Littlemore roundabout and Church Cowley Road 0% 1% 4% 3%
High Street, between Longwall Street and The Plain 0% 1% -2% -14%
Hollow Way, between Horspath Road and Garsington Road (inbound = northbound) 1% 9% 3% 1%
Hollow Way, between Horspath Road and The Slade (inbound = northbound) -1% 4% 5% 2%
The Slade (whole length) (inbound = northbound) -1% 3% 6% 5%
Windmill Road (whole length) 4% -3% 7% 6%
Old Road (Windmill to Gipsy Lane) 2% 7% 2% -3%
Warneford Lane/Morrell Avenue (whole length) 5% 2% -5% 3%
Garsington Road/Oxford Road, between Between Towns Road and the Cowley interchange 19% -5% 15% 6%
Old Abingdon Road, Southern Bypass to Abingdon Road -37% -3% -3% 6%
Horspath Driftway No data 3% No data 7%
Beaumont Street/Worcester Street/Hythe Bridge Street -4% -5% -7% -6%
Thames Street/Oxpens Road/Hollybush Row -1% 1% -3% -16%

Data source: Inrix telematics data

Change in traffic journey times on Oxford ring road, November 2025 vs November 2024

Traffic journey times on Oxford ring road
Section 7am – 9am
clockwise
7am - 9am 
anti-clockwise
4pm – 7pm
clockwise
4pm – 7pm
anti-clockwise
Hinksey Hill interchange to Kennington roundabout -24% -24% -10% 2%
Between Kennington roundabout and Heyford Hill roundabout -18% 7% -8% -3%
Between Heyford Hill roundabout and Littlemore roundabout  -9% 17% -21% -1%
Between Littlemore roundabout and Cowley interchange 33% 12% 8% 8%
Between Cowley interchange and Horspath Driftway 1% 33% 10% 20%
Between Horspath Driftway and Headington roundabout -3% -13% 4% 1%
Between Headington roundabout and Marsh Lane interchange 18% -3% 9% 1%
Between Marsh Lane interchange and Cutteslowe roundabout -2% 17% 0% -22%
Between Cutteslowe roundabout and Wolvercote roundabout 9% -14% -9% -17%
Between Wolvercote roundabout and Peartree interchange 0% -6% -7% 7%
Between Peartree interchange and Botley interchange 10% -6% 12% 6%
Between Botley interchange and Hinksey Hill interchange 11% -21% 8% -10%
Oxford Road/Banbury Road between Kidlington roundabout and Cutteslowe roundabout -15% 2% -9% 1%
A40 between Thornhill park and ride and Headington roundabout 7% 19% 5% 43%

Data source: Inrix telematics data

Change in bus journey times, November 2025 vs November 2024

Bus journey times
Road 7am – 9am inbound 7am – 9am outbound 4pm – 7pm inbound 4pm – 7pm outbound
Abingdon Road -23% -9% -3% -11%
Banbury Road -4% 3% 1% 12%
Cherwell Drive -19% -8% 0% -3%
Cowley Road -16% 3% -13% 1%
Garsington Road -52%* 8% -46%* 8%
Headington Road -8% -4% -39% -8%
Headley Way -1% 7% -8% -15%
Henley Avenue -1% -4% 5% -1%
High Street 6% 0% 4% -3%
Hollow Way -3% 13% 3% 12%
Iffley Road -17% -1% -4% -1%
London Road 1% 5% 1% 6%
Marston Ferry Road 8% -12% 6% -25%
Morrell Avenue -6% -1% -40% 4%
Oxford Road 5% -1% 4% -4%
Rose Hill -2% -7% 3% 2%
St Clements Street -10% -12% -26% -4%
The Slade -1% 6% 4% 4%
Warneford Lane 4% 6% 2% 6%
Windmill Road 3% -3% 10% -2%
Woodstock Road -3% 3% 1% 10%

*November 2024 data affected by roadworks

Data source: CitySwift and bus telematics

Change in cycle flows, November 2025 vs November 2024

Cycle flow data 
Location Percentage change
Magdalen Bridge Data not yet available
Park End Street Data not yet available
George Street Data not yet available
Parks Road Data not yet available
St Clements Data not yet available
Cowley Road, near The Plain Data not yet available
Iffley Road, near The Plain Data not yet available
Banbury Road, near Marston Ferry Road Data not yet available
Headington Road, near Headley Way Data not yet available
Warneford Lane Data not yet available
Abingdon Road, near Weirs Lane Data not yet available
Folly Bridge Data not yet available

Data Source: VivaCity multimodal Sensors

Visitor footfall

Change in visitor footfall in November 2025 compared to November 2024. 

Visitor footfall refers to the number of people who stop for at least five minutes within the area (excluding those walking through). One month is a relatively short period for comparing footfall, particularly since the weather has a significant impact on footfall.  The temporary congestion charge will be one factor amongst many that have influenced the figures. 

Visitor footfall in selected areas, November 2025 vs November 2024

Visitor footfall
Location Percentage change
Oxford city centre 22%
St Clements and Cowley Road 21%
Oxford High Street (east) -8%
Jericho 4%
Summertown -35%
Botley Road retail park 47%
Cowley centre 37%
Headington 15%
Hollow Way & Oxford Road, Cowley 10%
Oxford Covered Market 30%
Total footfall, all areas 16%

Data Source: Huq Industries Lighthouse data

Consumer spending in selected areas, November 2025 vs November 2024

November 2025 data not available until January 2026.

Data Source: Huq Industries

Park and ride usage

Park and ride car park entries - November 2025 vs November 2024
Park and ride car park Percentage change
Peartree 11%
Oxford Parkway (includes park and ride and station car park) 8%
Thornhill 2%
Redbridge 27%
Seacourt 7%

Source: Automatic Traffic Counters

Maximum occupancy - November 2024 and November 2025

Oxford Parkway
Year Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
2024 28% 35% 35% 37% 25% 33% 11%
2025 31% 37% 40% 35% 26% 33% 16%
Peartree
Year Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
2024 49% 64% 63% 57% 54% 56% 41%
2025 55% 60% 60% 65% 56% 65% 43%
Redbridge
Year Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
2024 60% 70% 71% 64% 62% 66% 47%
2025 75% 88% 82% 84% 76% 85% 63%
Seacourt
Year Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
2024 36% 43% 42% 38% 27% 18% 8%
2025 39% 46% 45% 45% 31% 18% 11%
Thornhill
Year Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
2024 49% 60% 65% 52% 41% 40% 27%
2025 45% 56% 44% 53% 45% 47% 26%

Source: Automatic Traffic Counters

Permit and enforcement data

Unlimited permit numbers

Number of each type of permit issued from 24 September (when the permit website opened for applications) to 2 December.

As of 2 December, the total number of permits issued is 84,575.

Unlimited permit numbers
Permit type Number issued
Approved driving instructor 274
Blue badge holders 8031
Business car used as goods vehicle 327
Car clubs 3
Central permit area resident 352
Central permit area sports clubs, nurseries or military training 472
Central permit area workplace parking 981
Disability benefit claimant 853
Disabled tax class vehicle 271
Firefighters 74
Frequent hospital patient 445
Hackney carriage or private hire vehicle (HCV or PHV) 1606
Hearse or funeral car 17
Organisational Blue badge holders 71
Organisational shared cars (pool cars) 96
Personal car used as goods vehicle 577
Personal car used by community health or care worker 3516
School car used for home-to-school transport 4
School student with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) 76
Unpaid carer 147

Source: Oxfordshire County Council Permit Management System

Day pass permits

Day pass permits
Permit type Number issued
Oxford residents  28431
Oxfordshire residents 37750
Central permit area visitors 201

Source: Oxfordshire County Council Permit Management System

Warning letters and penalty charge notices

The number of penalty charges sent from 29 October (when the temporary congestion charge began) to 4 December.

Warning letters and penalty charge notices
Type Number sent
Warning letters   4695 
Penalty charge notices 0

Source: Oxfordshire County Council Charge Management System

Total income before operating costs

The data below shows the income generated by the scheme from 29 October 2025 (when the temporary congestion charge began) to 30 November 2025.

Income before operating costs
Income from congestion charge payments £291,780
Income from penalty charges £0
Total income before operating costs £291,780

Source: Oxfordshire County Council

Spending the income

The income from the temporary congestion charge is currently being spent on the free park and ride bus journey offer and on the implementation and administration of the scheme.