Monitoring congestion charge data - January 2026
Comparison of congestion charge data from January 2025 and January 2026.
On this page
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
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 January 2026 with January 2025, where data is available in both years. The congestion charge is not the only factor that has caused changes, and in some cases, it may not even be the main one.
Traffic flows and journey times
Change in traffic volume
Data collected Monday - Friday, 7am - 7pm. January 2026 vs January 2025.
| Location | Percentage change |
|---|---|
| Kingston Road south of Leckford Road | No data for January 2026 |
| Woodstock Road south of Leckford Road | No data for January 2026 |
| Banbury Road north of Norham Road | No data for January 2026 |
| Magdalen Bridge | -13% |
| Folly Bridge | -14% |
Data source: Automatic traffic counters and VivaCity multi-modal sensors.
| Location | Percentage change |
|---|---|
| Woodstock Road south of Blandford Avenue | No data for January 2025 |
| Marsh Lane north of Horseman Close | 2% |
| London Road east of Lyndworth Close | 0% |
| Garsington Road south-east of John Smith Drive | 9% |
| Rose Hill south of Newman Road | 1% |
| Botley Road west of Seacourt park and ride | 1% |
| Blackbird Leys Road north-west of Sandy Lane West | 3% |
| Banbury Road north of Davenant Road | 0% |
| Horspath Driftway | 1% |
| Abingdon Road south of Weirs Lane | -7% |
Data source: Automatic traffic counters and VivaCity multi-modal sensors.
| Location | Percentage change |
|---|---|
| A423 southern bypass between Kennington roundabout and Heyford Hill interchange | No data for January 2025 |
| A4142 eastern bypass, east of Heyford Hill roundabout | 1% |
| A4142 eastern bypass, between Horspath Driftway and Headington roundabout | 4% |
| A40 northern bypass, south-east of River Cherwell | 0% |
| A34 Hinksey Hill interchange, southbound offslip | No data for January 2026 |
| A34 Botley interchange, southbound offslip | No data for January 2026 |
| A34 Botley interchange southbound, south of southbound offslip | No data for January 2026 |
| A34 Peartree interchange, northbound offslip | 6% |
Data source: Automatic traffic counters and VivaCity multi-modal sensors.
| Location | Percentage change |
|---|---|
| Hollow Way | No data for January 2026 |
| Marston Ferry Road | -17% |
| Thames Street | -20% |
| Woodstock Road south of South Parade | 2% |
| Banbury Road south of Marston Ferry Road | -13% |
| Cowley Road | No data for January 2025 |
| Hythe Bridge Street | No data for January 2025 |
| Headley Way | 3% |
| St Clements | No data for January 2025 |
| Iffley Road | No data for January 2025 |
Data source: Automatic traffic counters and VivaCity multi-modal sensors.
Change in traffic journey times on selected roads within the Oxford ring road, January 2026 vs January 2025
In the table below, 'inbound' means towards the city centre for radial routes, or towards Headington for orbital routes.
| Road | 7 - 9am inbound | 7 - 9am outbound | 4 - 7pm inbound | 4 - 7pm outbound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abingdon Road, between Weirs Lane and Thames Street | -12% | -6% | -5% | -20% |
| Woodstock Road, between St Giles and Moreton Road | -2% | No data for January 2025 | 2% | No data for January 2025 |
| Woodstock Road, Moreton Road and Wolvercote roundabout | -3% | 0% | 2% | 3% |
| Banbury Road, between St Giles and Moreton Road | 3% | 0% | 4% | 0% |
| Banbury Road, between Moreton Road and Cutteslowe roundabout | -1% | 3% | 5% | 12% |
| Marston Ferry Road/Cherwell Drive, between Marsh Lane and Banbury Road | -16% | -17% | -1% | -10% |
| Marsh Lane, between A40 and Cherwell Drive | -5% | 4% | 46% | 11% |
| London Road, between Headington roundabout and Windmill Road | 3% | 4% | 5% | -5% |
| London Road, between Windmill Road and Headley Way | -1% | 3% | 4% | -1% |
| Headington Road/Headington Hill between Headley Way and Marston Road | -3% | 0% | -4% | 1% |
| London Place/St Clements, between Marston Road and The Plain | -12% | -3% | -13% | -3% |
| Cowley Road, between Southfield Road and The Plain | -17% | -4% | -9% | -1% |
| Cowley Road and Oxford Road, between Between Towns Road and Southfield Road | -4% | 2% | -2% | 1% |
| Iffley Road, between Donnington Bridge Road and The Plain | -11% | 2% | 5% | 10% |
| Henley Avenue/Iffley Road between Church Cowley Road and Donnington Bridge Road | 3% | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| Oxford Road/Rose Hill, between Littlemore roundabout and Church Cowley Road | 3% | 5% | 6% | 4% |
| High Street, between Longwall Street and The Plain | 1% | 0% | -2% | -13% |
| Hollow Way, between Horspath Road and Garsington Road | -1% | 10% | 5% | 1% |
| Hollow Way, between Horspath Road and The Slade | -1% | 8% | 4% | 6% |
| The Slade (whole length) | 3% | 4% | 3% | 0% |
| Windmill Road (whole length) | 2% | 1% | 2% | 0% |
| Old Road (Windmill to Gipsy Lane) | 4% | 6% | 3% | 1% |
| Warneford Lane/Morrell Avenue (whole length) | 5% | 3% | 2% | 5% |
| Garsington Road/Oxford Road, between Between Towns Road and the Cowley interchange | 9% | 8% | 20% | 16% |
| Old Abingdon Road, Southern Bypass to Abingdon Road | -23% | -3% | 10% | 6% |
| Horspath Driftway | No data | 5% | No data | 7% |
| Beaumont Street/Worcester Street/Hythe Bridge Street | -2% | -7% | -6% | 3% |
| Thames Street/Oxpens Road/Hollybush Row | -15% | -1% | -8% | -7% |
Data source: Inrix telematics data
Change in traffic journey times on Oxford ring road, January 2026 vs January 2025
| Section | 7 - 9am clockwise |
7 - 9am anti-clockwise |
4 - 7pm clockwise |
4 - 7pm anti-clockwise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Hinksey Hill interchange and Kennington roundabout | -39% | -18% | 9% | 20% |
| Between Kennington roundabout and Heyford Hill roundabout | -51% | 8% | 12% | 12% |
| Between Heyford Hill roundabout and Littlemore roundabout | -30% | 17% | 11% | 14% |
| Between Littlemore roundabout and Cowley interchange | 20% | 8% | 19% | 29% |
| Between Cowley interchange and Horspath Driftway | 1% | 44% | 11% | 24% |
| Between Horspath Driftway and Headington roundabout | 1% | -8% | 0% | -10% |
| Between Headington roundabout and Marsh Lane interchange | 8% | 11% | 1% | 2% |
| Between Marsh Lane interchange and Cutteslowe roundabout | 0% | 16% | 1% | 27% |
| Between Cutteslowe roundabout and Wolvercote roundabout | 14% | -10% | 3% | -20% |
| Between Wolvercote roundabout and Peartree interchange | 0% | -8% | 12% | 6% |
| Between Peartree interchange and Botley interchange | 2% | -18% | 20% | 23% |
| Between Botley interchange and Hinksey Hill interchange | 5% | -29% | 15% | 16% |
| Oxford Road/Banbury Road between Kidlington roundabout and Cutteslowe roundabout | -7% | 3% | 6% | 2% |
| A40 between Thornhill P&R and Headington roundabout | -1% | 4% | 5% | 0% |
Data source: Inrix telematics data
Change in bus journey times, January 2026 vs January 2025
| Road | 7 - 9am inbound | 7 - 9am outbound | 4 - 7pm inbound | 4 - 7pm outbound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abingdon Road | -11% | -12% | -4% | -13% |
| Banbury Road | 1% | 4% | 4% | 6% |
| Cherwell Drive | -18% | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| Cowley Road | -12% | 0% | -9% | 1% |
| Garsington Road | 10% | 9% | 30% | 3% |
| Headington Road | -8% | -3% | -28% | -2% |
| Headley Way | -4% | 1% | 4% | -10% |
| Henley Avenue | -2% | -2% | -1% | -1% |
| High Street | -2% | 1% | 2% | -2% |
| Hollow Way | -1% | 13% | 1% | 10% |
| Iffley Road | -8% | 6% | 8% | 7% |
| London Road | 3% | 5% | 3% | -2% |
| Marston Ferry Road | 3% | -7% | 5% | -3% |
| Morrell Avenue | -6% | -1% | -17% | 3% |
| Oxford Road | -5% | 4% | -1% | 3% |
| Rose Hill | 2% | -4% | 4% | -4% |
| St Clements Street | -10% | -5% | -27% | 2% |
| The Slade | 0% | 11% | 1% | 0% |
| Warneford Lane | 1% | 4% | 5% | 4% |
| Windmill Road | 15% | 10% | 3% | 0% |
| Woodstock Road | -5% | 3% | 2% | 12% |
Data source: CitySwift and bus telematics
Change in cycle flows, January 2026 vs January 2025
Cycle flow data not yet available.
Visitor footfall
Change in visitor footfall in January 2026 compared to January 2025.
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. The temporary congestion charge will be one factor amongst many that have influenced the figures.
Visitor footfall in selected areas, January 2026 vs January 2025
Our data supplier is conducting a review of footfall data, and this page will be updated when complete.
Consumer spending in selected areas, January 2026 vs January 2025
Data will be updated here as it becomes available.
Park and ride usage
| Park and ride car park | Percentage change |
|---|---|
| Peartree | 18.2% |
| Oxford Parkway (includes park and ride and station car park) | 5.5% |
| Thornhill | -2.8% |
| Redbridge | 33.1% |
| Seacourt | 3.1% |
Source: Automatic Traffic Counters
Maximum occupancy - January 2025 and January 2026
| Year | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26% | 32% | 34% | 31% | 25% | 23% | 7% |
| 2026 | 29% | 36% | 35% | 35% | 24% | 24% | 11% |
| Year | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 40% | 51% | 53% | 57% | 39% | 51% | 8% |
| 2026 | 48% | 57% | 58% | 58% | 51% | 59% | 28% |
| Year | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 57% | 66% | 65% | 62% | 52% | 60% | 24% |
| 2026 | 72% | 77% | 82% | 78% | 66% | 74% | 44% |
| Year | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35% | 45% | 43% | 41% | 27% | 16% | 5% |
| 2026 | 38% | 45% | 43% | 43% | 26% | 17% | 7% |
| Year | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 45% | 45% | 43% | 49% | 32% | 33% | 13% |
| 2026 | 41% | 45% | 43% | 46% | 31% | 44% | 15% |
Source: Automatic Traffic Counters
Permit and enforcement data
Number of each type of permit issued from 24 September (when the permit website opened for applications) to 2 December 2025 to 21 January 2026.
As of 21 January, the total number of permits issued is 99,340.
| Permit type | Number issued |
|---|---|
| Approved driving instructor | 288 |
| Blue badge holders | 9406 |
| Business car used as goods vehicle | 358 |
| Car clubs | 3 |
| Central permit area resident | 369 |
| Central permit area sports clubs, nurseries or military training | 497 |
| Central permit area workplace parking | 1046 |
| Disability benefit claimant | 984 |
| Disabled tax class vehicle | 300 |
| Firefighters | 78 |
| Frequent hospital patient | 535 |
| Hackney carriage or private hire vehicle (HCV or PHV) | 1803 |
| Hearse or funeral car | 18 |
| Organisational Blue badge holders | 79 |
| Organisational shared cars (pool cars) | 113 |
| Personal car used as goods vehicle | 632 |
| Personal car used by community health or care worker | 3767 |
| School car used for home-to-school transport | 4 |
| School student with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) | 83 |
| Unpaid carer | 163 |
Source: Oxfordshire County Council Permit Management System
| Permit type | Number issued |
|---|---|
| Oxford residents | 31069 |
| Oxfordshire residents | 47808 |
| Central permit area visitors | 241 |
Source: Oxfordshire County Council Permit Management System
| Type | Number sent |
|---|---|
| Penalty charge notices | 25087 |
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 31 January 2026.
| Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Income from congestion charge payments | £958,162 |
| Income from penalty charges | £757,505 |
| Total income before operating costs | £1,715,667 |
Source: Oxfordshire County Council
The table below shows the income generated by the scheme from 1 January to 31 January 2026.
| Type | Amount |
|---|---|
| Income from congestion charge payments | £287,205 |
| Income from penalty charges | £757,435 |
| Total income before operating costs | £1,044,640 |
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 scheme implementation and administration.