Temporary congestion charge data – August 2026
Information related to the temporary congestion charge
On this page
About our data
Our data comes from numerous different sources. Most data are updated monthly. Although data has been checked for errors, it is being published immediately after collection so minor discrepancies may remain.
The transport, footfall and park and ride data compares August 2026 with August 2025 where data is available in both years. The congestion charge is not the only factor that will have caused changes, and in some cases it may not even be the main factor.
Traffic flows and journey times
Our traffic volume and journey time monitoring uses data from term-time weekdays to ensure the timing of holidays doesn’t affect the year-on-year comparisons.
There are no term-time weekdays in August, so traffic volumes and journey times will not be published for August 2026.
Footfall
Footfall data across Oxford will be published once it has been checked and validated. Please see our statement on footfall and spend data for more details.
In the meantime, pedestrian count data for Queen Street in central Oxford has been purchased from MRI Software (MRI do not hold data for any other locations in Oxford).
One month is a very short period for footfall comparisons, particularly as weather has a significant impact on footfall. The temporary congestion charge will be one factor amongst many that have influenced the figures.
Table 6: Year-on-year change in pedestrian counts, 2025/6 vs 2024/5
Visitor numbers
Visitor numbers (sometimes referred to as “footfall”, although the two are not strictly the same) are provided by Beauclair using data from BT Active Intelligence – Location Insights. This data is used widely across the UK, including by the Office for National Statistics which is also the source for the regional comparator data used below.
The data presented below is for single months, and some of the areas presented are very small. The shorter the period and smaller the area, the lower the sample size. Figures for individual months in single areas should be treated with caution and viewed in the context of other months/areas.
View a map of the Oxford areas included below
| Nov-25 | Dec-25 | Jan-26 | Feb-26 | Mar-26 | Apr-26 | May-26 | Jun-26 | Jul-26 | Aug-26 | Nov25 to Aug26 total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford city centre | -3.2% | -5.8% | -0.9% | -0.1% | -7.4% | -7.0% | -0.9% | -5.7% | 8.1% | 1.2% | -2.2% |
| South East Town and City Centres (ONS) | 0.5% | -0.4% | 0.4% | -3.2% | -8.7% | -9.7% | -2.6% | -3.7% | 2.4% | -1.7% | -2.7% |
| Botley Road | -13.8% | -21.7% | -13.0% | -13.7% | -19.2% | -21.8% | -0.3% | -1.2% | 4.9% | 0.8% | -10.7% |
| Cowley centre | -0.7% | -9.2% | -7.6% | -9.5% | -11.6% | -8.3% | -9.8% | -10.3% | -13.0% | -15.8% | -9.6% |
| Headington | -7.9% | -7.6% | -10.2% | -11.5% | -12.5% | -2.9% | -5.6% | -7.8% | -6.8% | -3.6% | -7.7% |
| Hollow Way & Oxford Road | -6.0% | -7.0% | -7.8% | -10.3% | -8.5% | -2.5% | 2.7% | -2.2% | 3.1% | 0.5% | -3.9% |
| Jericho | -10.9% | -11.0% | -4.3% | -1.7% | -2.8% | -1.0% | -0.8% | -4.0% | 4.6% | 4.2% | -2.9% |
| St Clements & Cowley Road | -27.3% | -28.2% | -27.7% | -24.3% | -23.3% | -14.6% | -12.9% | -12.8% | 1.3% | -2.5% | -18.7% |
| Summertown | 0.7% | -4.7% | 3.5% | 6.7% | -5.3% | -5.3% | -4.4% | -3.3% | -1.4% | -4.0% | -1.9% |
| South East District or Local Centre (ONS) | -9.2% | -8.3% | -11.5% | -11.7% | -12.1% | -6.3% | -2.5% | -3.7% | 5.7% | 3.5% | -5.7% |
Data source: Beauclair
| Oct-25 | |
| Oxford city centre | -5.1% |
| South East Town and City Centres (ONS) | -2.7% |
| Botley Road | -12.2% |
| Cowley centre | -2.9% |
| Headington | -11.1% |
| Hollow Way & Oxford Road | -14.9% |
| Jericho | -12.7% |
| St Clements & Cowley Road | -24.6% |
| Summertown | -2.9% |
| South East District or Local Centre (ONS) | -13.4% |
Data source: Beauclair
Credit and debit card spending
Our spend data is provided by Experian and comes from a national sample of around 4 million debit and credit cards. The data presented below is for single months, and some of the areas presented are very small. The shorter the period and smaller the area, the lower the sample size. Figures for individual months in single areas should be treated with caution and viewed in the context of other months/areas.
Comparator areas have been provided for context. The comparator areas are listed under each table, but to comply with the terms of our data licence the areas are anonymised in the tables themselves.
| Town or city centre | Nov-25 | Dec-25 | Jan-26 | Feb-26 | Mar-26 | Apr-26 | May-26 | June-26 | July-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford city centre | -9.5% | -11.2% | -1.7% | -5.4% | 1.7% | 0.3% | -3.2% | -6.2% | 8.8% |
| Non-Oxfordshire comparator 1 | -3.4% | -7.8% | -4.5% | 1.8% | -3.3% | -6.1% | -5.2% | 3.5% | -2.4% |
| Non-Oxfordshire comparator 2 | -3.2% | -10.5% | -5.2% | -3.9% | 5.9% | -2.3% | -10.3% | 0.4% | 4.8% |
| Non-Oxfordshire comparator 3 | -9.1% | -15.8% | -3.7% | -4.7% | -6.1% | -8.4% | -13.4% | 1.6% | -1.5% |
| Non-Oxfordshire comparator 4 | -6.3% | -8.2% | -12.7% | -8.9% | -10.3% | -9.5% | -5.9% | -0.1% | -1.8% |
| Non-Oxfordshire comparator 5 | -3.7% | -4.8% | 3.9% | -0.6% | 0.1% | 9.5% | -3.6% | -7.4% | -3.8% |
| Oxfordshire comparator 1 | -12.7% | -10.5% | -4.5% | -8.6% | -12.4% | 2.6% | 25.6% | 4.2% | 2.5% |
| Oxfordshire comparator 2 | 0.3% | -6.2% | 4.2% | 3.6% | 1.0% | -1.3% | -1.2% | 5.9% | -4.4% |
| Oxfordshire comparator 3 | -13.4% | -19.8% | -12.2% | -5.4% | -6.9% | -18.4% | -16.2% | -4.2% | -6.1% |
| Oxfordshire comparator 4 | -4.8% | -0.8% | -5.8% | 2.6% | 1.7% | -13.6% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 13.3% |
| Oxfordshire comparator 5 | -7.4% | -6.6% | -1.6% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 2.9% | -13.7% | -0.3% | 4.4% |
Non-Oxfordshire comparators = Bath city centre, Cambridge city centre, Cheltenham town centre, Winchester city centre
Oxfordshire comparators = Banbury, Abingdon, Witney, Bicester, Didcot
Data source: Experian
| Destination | Nov-25 | Dec-25 | Jan-26 | Feb-26 | Mar-26 | Apr-26 | May-26 | June-26 | July-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jericho | -12.1% | -6.7% | -15.3% | -15.4% | -11.9% | -16.7% | -5.0% | -6.5% | 1.4% |
| St Clements & Cowley Road | -7.5% | -5.7% | -13.5% | -2.9% | -9.4% | -3.1% | -14.7% | -1.9% | -5.9% |
| Non-Oxfordshire F&B comparator 1 | -6.6% | 0.9% | 1.1% | -11.8% | -1.0% | -10.1% | -7.1% | -0.4% | 0.5% |
| Non-Oxfordshire F&B comparator 2 | 8.2% | 2.8% | -6.2% | -2.8% | -9.4% | 6.3% | -9.3% | 14.5% | 16.1% |
| Non-Oxfordshire F&B comparator 3 | 1.4% | 2.8% | 29.3% | 3.6% | -3.7% | 0.9% | 15.4% | 22.6% | 4.3% |
| Non-Oxfordshire F&B comparator 4 | -5.8% | -2.6% | 7.0% | 5.9% | -4.8% | 3.3% | -12.0% | 3.9% | -4.2% |
| Non-Oxfordshire F&B comparator 5 | -1.8% | -3.1% | -1.9% | -1.7% | -16.4% | -18.4% | -22.3% | -12.3% | -12.3% |
Non-Oxfordshire comparators = Mill Rd, Cambridge; Gloucester Rd/Stokes Croft, Bristol; Montpellier/Regent St, Cheltenham; Oxford Rd, Reading; Larkhall, Bath
Data source: Experian
| Suburban mixed retail destination | Nov-25 | Dec-25 | Jan-26 | Feb-26 | Mar-26 | Apr-26 | May-26 | June-26 | July-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Botley Road retail park | -11.6% | -3.4% | 5.3% | 4.7% | 6.0% | -1.7% | 5.7% | 19.1% | 12.8% |
| Cowley centre | -20.2% | -10.1% | -8.1% | -7.1% | -4.8% | -9.4% | -15.7% | -5.8% | -1.4% |
| Headington | -9.7% | -6.9% | -6.4% | -15.5% | -18.7% | -12.9% | -17.1% | -5.9% | -4.9% |
| Hollow Way & Oxford Road, Cowley | 1.4% | -14.1% | -14.3% | -4.5% | -14.3% | -24.7% | 2.3% | 8.3% | 20.6% |
| Summertown | -0.8% | -9.6% | -2.3% | 2.7% | 4.0% | -9.4% | -15.7% | -5.9% | -6.3% |
| Non-Oxfordshire MR comparator 1 | 3.6% | -6.1% | 4.4% | -7.0% | 0.9% | 2.0% | -11.7% | 7.5% | -3.9% |
| Non-Oxfordshire MR comparator 2 | 1.2% | -2.8% | 9.0% | 1.7% | 5.6% | 9.3% | 1.8% | 10.0% | 12.5% |
| Non-Oxfordshire MR comparator 3 | 14.6% | -26.6% | -18.3% | -23.6% | -8.3% | -4.2% | -1.8% | -23.0% | 5.3% |
| Non-Oxfordshire MR comparator 4 | -0.4% | -8.8% | -12.9% | -5.0% | -19.2% | -1.6% | -11.2% | -6.3% | 4.3% |
| Non-Oxfordshire MR comparator 5 | -3.9% | -5.7% | -5.6% | -1.8% | 3.0% | -2.0% | -2.7% | 2.4% | -1.6% |
Non-Oxfordshire comparators = North St, Southville/Bedminster, Bristol; Bath Rd, Cheltenham; High St, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge Caversham Centre, Reading; Moorland Rd, Bath.
Data source: Experian
Park and Ride usage
| Park and ride car park | Change % |
|---|---|
| Peartree | 13.4% |
| Oxford Parkway (includes park and ride and station car park) | 27.3% |
| Thornhill | 16.0% |
| Redbridge | 34.7% |
| Seacourt* |
Source: Automatic Traffic Counters
* A counter fault means no data is available for August 2026
| Site | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford Parkway | |||||||
| 2025 | 25% | 30% | 30% | 30% | 27% | 23% | 12% |
| 2026 | 31% | 37% | 36% | 38% | 29% | 27% | 20% |
| Peartree | |||||||
| 2025 | 48% | 59% | 58% | 60% | 46% | 47% | 28% |
| 2026 | 52% | 60% | 59% | 51% | 42% | 45% | 29% |
| Redbridge | |||||||
| 2025 | 65% | 74% | 70% | 69% | 58% | 62% | 38% |
| 2026* | |||||||
| Seacourt | |||||||
| 2025* | |||||||
| 2026* | |||||||
| Thornhill | |||||||
| 2025 | 38% | 43% | 45% | 42% | 34% | 37% | 27% |
| 2026 | 44% | 48% | 49% | 46% | 40% | 41% | 35% |
Source: Automatic Traffic Counters
*An entry counter fault means no data is available for August
Permit and enforcement data
The tables below show the number of each type of permit issued from 24 September (when the permit system opened for applications) 2025 to 21 September 2026.
The total number of permits issued to 21 September is 131,858.
| Permit type | Number |
|---|---|
| Approved driving instructor | 334 |
| Blue badge holders | 13,858 |
| Business car used as goods vehicle | 457 |
| Car clubs | 3 |
| Central permit area resident | 435 |
| Central permit area sports clubs, nurseries or military training | 635 |
| Central permit area workplace parking | 1,341 |
| Disability benefit claimant | 1,671 |
| Disabled tax class vehicle | 508 |
| Firefighters | 93 |
| Frequent hospital patient | 682 |
| Hackney carriage or private hire vehicle (HCV or PHV) | 2,600 |
| Hearse or funeral car | 21 |
| Organisational Blue badge holders | 89 |
| Organisational shared cars (pool cars) | 138 |
| Personal car used as goods vehicle | 781 |
| Personal car used by community health or care worker | 4,682 |
| School car used for home-to-school transport | 5 |
| School student with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) | 113 |
| Unpaid carer | 196 |
Source: Oxfordshire County Council Permit Management System
| Permit type | Number |
|---|---|
| Oxford residents | 36,655 |
| Oxfordshire residents | 66,248 |
| Central permit area visitors | 313 |
Source: Oxfordshire County Council Permit Management System
The table below shows the number of penalty charge notices sent between 1st August and 31st August 2026.
| Penalty charge notices | 19,235 |
Source: Oxfordshire County Council Charge Management System
Income
The table below shows the total income generated by the scheme from 29th October 2025 (when the temporary congestion charge began) to 31 August.
| Income from congestion charge payments | £3,176,466 |
| Income from penalty charges | £5,935,828 |
| Total income before operating costs | £9,112,294 |
Source: Oxfordshire County Council
The table below shows the income generated by the scheme from 1st August 2026 to 30th August 2026.
| Income from congestion charge payments | £322,010 |
| Income from penalty charges | £732,322 |
| Total income before operating costs | £1,054,332 |
What we’ve spent the income on
The income from the temporary congestion charge is currently being spent on the combined park and ride ticket offer and on the scheme implementation and administration.