Temporary congestion charge data – July 2026

Information related to the temporary congestion charge

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 July 2026 with July 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

Table 1: Change in traffic volume, Mon-Fri, 7am – 7pm July 2026 vs July 2025
Location Percentage change
Inner  
Kingston Road south of Leckford Road No data*
Woodstock Road south of Leckford Road No data*
Banbury Road north of Norham Road No data*
Magdalen Bridge No data*
Folly Bridge No data*
Outer  
Woodstock Road south of Blandford Avenue No data*
Marsh Lane north of Horseman Close No data*
London Road east of Lyndworth Close No data*
Garsington Road south-east of John Smith Drive No data*
Rose Hill south of Newman Road No data*
Botley Road west of Seacourt park and ride No data*
Blackbird Leys Road north-west of Sandy Lane West No data*
Banbury Road north of Davenant Road  
Horspath Driftway No data for July 2025
Abingdon Road south of Weirs Lane No data*
Ring road  
A423 southern bypass between Kennington roundabout and Heyford Hill interchange No data*
A4142 eastern bypass, east of Heyford Hill roundabout No data*
A4142 eastern bypass, between Horspath Driftway and Headington roundabout No data*
A40 northern bypass, south-east of River Cherwell No data*
A34 Hinksey Hill interchange, southbound offslip No data*
A34 Botley interchange, southbound offslip No data*
A34 Botley interchange southbound, south of southbound offslip No data*
A34 Peartree interchange, northbound offslip No data*
Other sites  
Hollow Way No data*
Marston Ferry Road No data*
Thames Street No data*
Woodstock Road south of South Parade 0%
Banbury Road south of Marston Ferry Road -14%
Cowley Road No data*
Hythe Bridge Street No data*
Headley Way No data*
St Clements No data*
Iffley Road No data*

Data source: Automatic traffic counters & VivaCity multi-modal sensors

*Automatic Traffic Counter and National Highways count data sites currently undergoing database transfer and maintenance processes.

In the table below, "inbound" means towards the city centre for radial routes, or towards Headington for orbital routes.

Table 2: Change in traffic journey times on selected roads within Oxford ring road, July 2026 vs July 2025
Road 7am – 9am inbound 7am – 9am outbound 4pm – 7pm inbound 4pm – 7pm outbound
Abingdon Road, between Weirs Lane and Thames Street -12% 2% -2% -3%
Woodstock Road, between St Giles and Moreton Road  1% 2% 0% -2%
Woodstock Road, Moreton Road and Wolvercote roundabout 3% 2% 0% 4%
Banbury Road, between St Giles and Moreton Road 1% -2% 1% -1%
Banbury Road, between Moreton Road and Cutteslowe roundabout 5% 1% 2% 5%
Marston Ferry Road/Cherwell Drive, between Marsh Lane and Banbury Road  -1% -12% 1% -11%
Marsh Lane, between A40 and Cherwell Drive -23% 2% 9% 2%
London Road, between Headington roundabout and Windmill Road -11% 0% -1% -3%
London Road, between Windmill Road and Headley Way -1% 0% 4% 5%
Headington Road/Headington Hill between Headley Way and Marston Road -3% -3% -2% -3%
London Place/St Clements, between Marston Road and The Plain -8% -6% -13% -6%
Cowley Road, between Southfield Road and The Plain -4% -2% 1% 3%
Cowley Road and Oxford Road, between Between Towns Road and Southfield Road 1% 3% 4% 7%
Iffley Road, between Donnington Bridge Road and The Plain -10% -1% 1% -1%
Henley Avenue/Iffley Road between Church Cowley Road and Donnington Bridge Road 0% -1% 2% 3%
Oxford Road/Rose Hill, between Littlemore roundabout and Church Cowley Road -1% 0% -6% -1%
High Street, between Longwall Street and The Plain -2% 0% -2% 3%
Hollow Way, between Horspath Road and Garsington Road  1% 2% 1% -3%
Hollow Way, between Horspath Road and The Slade  0% -2% 0% -1%
The Slade (whole length)  -4% 4% 5% -2%
Windmill Road (whole length) 0% -1% 2% 4%
Old Road (Windmill to Gipsy Lane) -2% 3% -2% -1%
Warneford Lane/Morrell Avenue (whole length) 3% 3% 2% 1%
Garsington Road/Oxford Road, between Between Towns Road and the Cowley interchange 1% 6% -6% 4%
Old Abingdon Road, Southern Bypass to Abingdon Road -6% -4% 4% -3%
Horspath Driftway No data 4% No data 3%
Beaumont Street/Worcester Street/Hythe Bridge Street 0% -1% -2% -2%
Thames Street/Oxpens Road/Hollybush Row 0% -2% -1% -1%
Weirs Lane/Donnington Bridge Road between Abingdon Road and Iffley Road 2% 1% 5% 2%
Abingdon Road between Weirs Lane and Kennington Roundabout -2% 6% 7% 2%
Marston Road between London Place and Headley Way -3% -3% -2% -1%
Headley Way between Marsh Lane and London Road 6% 6% 3% -4%
Between Towns Road/Church Cowley Road between Henley Avenue and Oxford Road 2% 3% 2% 3%

Data source: Inrix telematics data

Table 3: Change in traffic journey times on Oxford ring road, July 2026 vs July 2025
Section 7am – 9am clockwise

7am – 9am 

anti-clockwise

4pm – 7pm 

clockwise

4pm – 7pm 

anti-clockwise

Between Hinksey Hill interchange and Kennington roundabout 9% 3% 13% 19%
Between Kennington roundabout and Heyford Hill roundabout 24% 7% 1% 2%
Between Heyford Hill roundabout and Littlemore roundabout  10% 9% -5% 14%
Between Littlemore roundabout and Cowley interchange -10% 2% -5% 0%
Between Cowley interchange and Horspath Driftway 1% 19% 1% 6%
Between Horspath Driftway and Headington roundabout -4% 0% -5% -3%
Between Headington roundabout and Marsh Lane interchange 28% -3% 5% -3%
Between Marsh Lane interchange and Cutteslowe roundabout 34% -40% 70% -44%
Between Cutteslowe roundabout and Wolvercote roundabout 1% 2% -1% 4%
Between Wolvercote roundabout and Peartree interchange -9% 10% -4% 14%
Between Peartree interchange and Botley interchange 0% 4% -1% 4%
Between Botley interchange and Hinksey Hill interchange -3% 24% -3% 30%
Oxford Road/Banbury Road between Kidlington roundabout and Cutteslowe roundabout -3% -1% 1% 2%
A40 between Thornhill P&R and Headington roundabout -11% -1% -3% -23%

Data source: Inrix telematics data

 

Table 4: Change in bus journey times, July 2026 vs July 2025
Road 7am – 9am inbound 7am – 9am outbound 4pm – 7pm inbound 4pm – 7pm outbound
Abingdon Road -6% 1% -3% 1%
Banbury Road 7% 0% 3% 13%
Cherwell Drive No data No data No data No data
Cowley Road -2% 6% -3% 1%
Garsington Road 3% -7% -22% -1%
Headington Road 3% 6% -15% 0%
Headley Way 1% 5% 3% -1%
Henley Avenue -2% 2% 8% -2%
High Street -4% 2% -2% 0%
Hollow Way 6% 1% 1% -14%
Iffley Road -5% 1% 1% -1%
London Road -7% 1% 1% -1%
Marston Ferry Road 2% 6% 2% -23%
Morrell Avenue -4% 4% -10% -1%
Oxford Road 7% 12% 7% 21%
Rose Hill -1% -1% 0% 3%
St Clements Street -3% 3% -25% -4%
The Slade 10% 2% 2% -6%
Warneford Lane 6% 2% 3% -3%
Windmill Road 1% No data 3% No data
Woodstock Road -1% -2% 5% 3%

Data source: CitySwift and bus telematics

 

Table 5: Year on year change in cycle flows, July 2026 vs July 2025
Location % change
The Slade No data for July 2025
A420 London Road (nr Headley Way)  -4%
Between Towns Road (nr Beauchamp Lane)  0%
Woodstock Road (nr South Parade)  4%
Cowley Road (nr Leopold Street)  0%
Banbury Road (nr Marston Ferry Road)  25%
Marston Road No data for July 2025
Magdalen Bridge 3%
Botley Road (nr Harley Road)  -1%
Headley Way (nr Marston Road) 2%
Headley Way (nr JR hospital) -4%
  0%

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
  Queen Street, Oxford Cambridge City Centre UK high streets UK high streets, shopping centres and retail parks Source for Cambridge and national data
November +3.5% -9.0% -2.7% -1.8% Footfall Report
December +2.4% -0.2% +0.6% +2.2% Footfall report
January +0.6% -5.5% -2.7% -3.3% Footfall Report
February -3.2% -2.3% -2.1% -2.0% Footfall Report
March  -2.4% -4.5% -5.0% -2.4% Footfall Report
April -9.4% 0.1% -2.7% -1.1% Footfall Report
May -3.9% -3.1% -4.5% -1.9% Footfall Report
June* -14.2% -6.8% -3.3% -5.0% Footfall Report
July* -15.8% -3.1% -0.4% -1.5%  
November-June total -5.6% -3.9% Not published Not published Footfall reports

Data Source:  MRI OnLocation for Footfall Analytics

* MRI technicians have identified a potential counter fault which may be affecting the accuracy of the pedestrian counts on Queen Street for June and July.  This is currently being investigated.

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.

Table 7: Year-on-year estimated change in credit and debit card spending 2025/6 vs 2024/5 - Town and city centres
Town or city centre Nov-25 Dec-25 Jan-26 Feb-26 Mar-26 Apr-26 May-26 June-26
Oxford city centre -9.5% -11.2% -1.7% -5.4% 1.7% 0.3% -3.2% -6.2%
Non-Oxfordshire comparator 1 -3.4% -7.8% -4.5% 1.8% -3.3% -6.1% -5.2% 3.5%
Non-Oxfordshire comparator 2 -3.2% -10.5% -5.2% -3.9% 5.9% -2.3% -10.3% 0.4%
Non-Oxfordshire comparator 3 -9.1% -15.8% -3.7% -4.7% -6.1% -8.4% -13.4% 1.6%
Non-Oxfordshire comparator 4 -6.3% -8.2% -12.7% -8.9% -10.3% -9.5% -5.9% -0.1%
Non-Oxfordshire comparator 5 -3.7% -4.8% 3.9% -0.6% 0.1% 9.5% -3.6% -7.4%
Oxfordshire comparator 1 -12.7% -10.5% -4.5% -8.6% -12.4% 2.6% 25.6% 4.2%
Oxfordshire comparator 2 0.3% -6.2% 4.2% 3.6% 1.0% -1.3% -1.2% 5.9%
Oxfordshire comparator 3 -13.4% -19.8% -12.2% -5.4% -6.9% -18.4% -16.2% -4.2%
Oxfordshire comparator 4 -4.8% -0.8% -5.8% 2.6% 1.7% -13.6% 3.4% 3.3%
Oxfordshire comparator 5 -7.4% -6.6% -1.6% 2.6% 1.8% 2.9% -13.7% -0.3%

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

Table 8: Year-on-year estimated change in credit and debit card spending 2025/6 vs 2024/5 - Suburban food & beverage destinations
Destination Nov-25 Dec-25 Jan-26 Feb-26 Mar-26 Apr-26 May-26 June-26
Jericho -12.1% -6.7% -15.3% -15.4% -11.9% -16.7% -5.0% -6.5%
St Clements & Cowley Road -7.5% -5.7% -13.5% -2.9% -9.4% -3.1% -14.7% -1.9%
Non-Oxfordshire F&B comparator 1 -6.6% 0.9% 1.1% -11.8% -1.0% -10.1% -7.1% -0.4%
Non-Oxfordshire F&B comparator 2 8.2% 2.8% -6.2% -2.8% -9.4% 6.3% -9.3% 14.5%
Non-Oxfordshire F&B comparator 3 1.4% 2.8% 29.3% 3.6% -3.7% 0.9% 15.4% 22.6%
Non-Oxfordshire F&B comparator 4 -5.8% -2.6% 7.0% 5.9% -4.8% 3.3% -12.0% 3.9%
Non-Oxfordshire F&B comparator 5 -1.8% -3.1% -1.9% -1.7% -16.4% -18.4% -22.3% -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

Table 9: Year-on-year estimated change in credit and debit card spending 2025/6 vs 2024/5 - Suburban mixed retail destinations
Suburban mixed retail destination Nov-25 Dec-25 Jan-26 Feb-26 Mar-26 Apr-26 May-26 June-26
Botley Road retail park -11.6% -3.4% 5.3% 4.7% 6.0% -1.7% 5.7% 19.1%
Cowley centre -20.2% -10.1% -8.1% -7.1% -4.8% -9.4% -15.7% -5.8%
Headington -9.7% -6.9% -6.4% -15.5% -18.7% -12.9% -17.1% -5.9%
Hollow Way & Oxford Road, Cowley 1.4% -14.1% -14.3% -4.5% -14.3% -24.7% 2.3% 8.3%
Summertown -0.8% -9.6% -2.3% 2.7% 4.0% -9.4% -15.7% -5.9%
Non-Oxfordshire MR comparator 1 3.6% -6.1% 4.4% -7.0% 0.9% 2.0% -11.7% 7.5%
Non-Oxfordshire MR comparator 2 1.2% -2.8% 9.0% 1.7% 5.6% 9.3% 1.8% 10.0%
Non-Oxfordshire MR comparator 3 14.6% -26.6% -18.3% -23.6% -8.3% -4.2% -1.8% -23.0%
Non-Oxfordshire MR comparator 4 -0.4% -8.8% -12.9% -5.0% -19.2% -1.6% -11.2% -6.3%
Non-Oxfordshire MR comparator 5 -3.9% -5.7% -5.6% -1.8% 3.0% -2.0% -2.7% 2.4%

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

Table 10: Change in park and ride car park entries, July 2026 vs July 2025
Park and ride car park Change %
Peartree 14.0%
Oxford Parkway (includes park and ride and station car park) 32.7%
Thornhill 8.1%
Redbridge 43.6%
Seacourt* 30.7%

Source: Automatic Traffic Counters

*No data recorded after 25th July

Table 11: Maximum park and ride car park occupancy by day of week, July 2025 and July 2026
Site Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Oxford Parkway               
2025 26% 33% 35% 39% 27% 22% 19%
2026* 32% 40% 36% 47% 39% 46% 37%
Peartree              
2025 48% 57% 77% 77% 36% 33% 19%
2026** 49% 62% 58% 56% 41% 45% 24%
Redbridge              
2025 68% 74% 99% 92% 54% 52% 33%
2026 77% 93% 100% 96% 77% 84% 44%
Seacourt              
2025 33% 39% 42% 40% 23% 14% 5%
2026*** 40% 44% 48% 46% 32% 18% 11%
Thornhill              
2025 43% 45% 65% 70% 34% 32% 17%
2026 45% 52% 76% 71% 39% 43% 20%

Source: Automatic Traffic Counters

*Missing data from 1 July (a high-usage day at all other P&R sites)

**No data recorded before 13 July

***No data recorded after 25 July

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 26th August 2026.

The total number of permits issued to 26 August is 129,454.

Table 12: Unlimited permit numbers
Permit type  Number 
Approved driving instructor 331
Blue badge holders 13,482
Business car used as goods vehicle 448
Car clubs 3
Central permit area resident 428
Central permit area sports clubs, nurseries or military training 630
Central permit area workplace parking 1339
Disability benefit claimant 1618
Disabled tax class vehicle 487
Firefighters 93
Frequent hospital patient 670
Hackney carriage or private hire vehicle (HCV or PHV) 2523
Hearse or funeral car 21
Organisational Blue badge holders 90
Organisational shared cars (pool cars) 139
Personal car used as goods vehicle 771
Personal car used by community health or care worker 4619
School car used for home-to-school transport 5
School student with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) 106
Unpaid carer 194

Source: Oxfordshire County Council Permit Management System

Table 13: Day pass permits
Permit type Number
Oxford residents  36,207
Oxfordshire residents 65,048
Central permit area visitors 308

Source: Oxfordshire County Council Permit Management System

The table below shows the number of penalty charge notices sent between 1 July and 31 July 2026.

Table 14: How many penalty charge notices have been sent
Penalty charge notices 22,330

Source: Oxfordshire County Council Charge Management System

Income 

The table below shows the total income generated by the scheme from 29 October 2025 (when the temporary congestion charge began) to 31 July.

Table 15: Total income before operating costs
Income from congestion charge payments £2,854,456
Income from penalty charges £5,203,506
Total income before operating costs £8,057,962

Source: Oxfordshire County Council

The table below shows the income generated by the scheme from 1 July 2026 to 30 July 2026.

Income from congestion charge payments £326,030
Income from penalty charges £736,478
Total income before operating costs £1,062,508

What we’ve spent the income on

he 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.

Link to data for November 2025

Link to data for December 2025

Link to data for January 2026

Link to data for February 2026

Link to data for March 2026

Link to data for April 2026

Link to data for May 2026

Link to data for June 2026