Temporary congestion charge data – September 2026
Information related to the temporary congestion charge
On this page
The data below is for a single month. Botley Road reopened on 21 September 2026, and the traffic filter trial replaced the congestion charge on 28 September 2026. These changes may affect some of the data.
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 September 2026 with September 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 September 2026 vs September 2025
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. When data becomes available, the webpage will be updated.
"In the table below, "inbound" means towards the city centre for radial routes, or towards Headington for orbital routes".
| Road | 7am – 9am inbound | 7am – 9am outbound | 4pm – 7pm inbound | 4pm – 7pm outbound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abingdon Road, between Weirs Lane and Thames Street | -17% | -3% | -12% | -30% |
| Woodstock Road, between St Giles and Moreton Road | -5% | -1% | -4% | -9% |
| Woodstock Road, Moreton Road and Wolvercote roundabout | -4% | 4% | 0% | 13% |
| Banbury Road, between St Giles and Moreton Road | -3% | -3% | -6% | -12% |
| Banbury Road, between Moreton Road and Cutteslowe roundabout | 0% | 7% | 4% | 32% |
| Marston Ferry Road/Cherwell Drive, between Marsh Lane and Banbury Road | -2% | -22% | -2% | -31% |
| Marsh Lane, between A40 and Cherwell Drive | -15% | 1% | 42% | 6% |
| London Road, between Headington roundabout and Windmill Road | 2% | -3% | -2% | 5% |
| London Road, between Windmill Road and Headley Way | 2% | -2% | -1% | -2% |
| Headington Road/Headington Hill between Headley Way and Marston Road | -1% | -2% | -13% | -3% |
| London Place/St Clements, between Marston Road and The Plain | -13% | -7% | -11% | -7% |
| Cowley Road, between Southfield Road and The Plain | -5% | -4% | 8% | 3% |
| Cowley Road and Oxford Road, between Between Towns Road and Southfield Road | 4% | 5% | 5% | 23% |
| Iffley Road, between Donnington Bridge Road and The Plain | -5% | -2% | 0% | -4% |
| Henley Avenue/Iffley Road between Church Cowley Road and Donnington Bridge Road | -1% | -1% | 0% | 6% |
| Oxford Road/Rose Hill, between Littlemore roundabout and Church Cowley Road | -4% | 15% | 2% | 12% |
| High Street, between Longwall Street and The Plain | -1% | 2% | 3% | -2% |
| Hollow Way, between Horspath Road and Garsington Road | 0% | 10% | 0% | -5% |
| Hollow Way, between Horspath Road and The Slade | 3% | 0% | 3% | 0% |
| The Slade (whole length) | 1% | 1% | 7% | 1% |
| Windmill Road (whole length) | 2% | -2% | 4% | 6% |
| Old Road (Windmill to Gipsy Lane) | 4% | 4% | 1% | -1% |
| Warneford Lane/Morrell Avenue (whole length) | 2% | 1% | -2% | 2% |
| Garsington Road/Oxford Road, between Between Towns Road and the Cowley interchange | 5% | 11% | -4% | 7% |
| Old Abingdon Road, Southern Bypass to Abingdon Road | -19% | -6% | -3% | -3% |
| Horspath Driftway | NA | 9% | NA | 12% |
| Beaumont Street/Worcester Street/Hythe Bridge Street | 9% | 4% | 1% | 10% |
| Thames Street/Oxpens Road/Hollybush Row | -1% | 0% | -5% | -16% |
| Weirs Lane/Donnington Bridge Road between Abingdon Road and Iffley Road | -1% | 9% | 18% | 2% |
| Abingdon Road between Weirs Lane and Kennington Roundabout | -7% | -4% | 0% | 2% |
| Marston Road between London Place and Headley Way | -1% | 1% | -1% | 0% |
| Headley Way between Marsh Lane and London Road | 7% | 12% | -2% | -8% |
| Between Towns Road/Church Cowley Road between Henley Avenue and Oxford Road | 6% | 13% | -6% | 15% |
Data source: Inrix telematics data
| Section | 7am – 9am clockwise |
7am – 9am anti-clockwise |
4pm – 7pm clockwise |
4pm – 7pm anti-clockwise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Between Hinksey Hill interchange and Kennington roundabout | -34% | -18% | -7% | -5% |
| Between Kennington roundabout and Heyford Hill roundabout | -36% | 26% | -9% | 3% |
| Between Heyford Hill roundabout and Littlemore roundabout | -16% | 54% | 9% | 24% |
| Between Littlemore roundabout and Cowley interchange | 34% | 3% | -22% | 0% |
| Between Cowley interchange and Horspath Driftway | 2% | 18% | -8% | 10% |
| Between Horspath Driftway and Headington roundabout | -3% | 4% | -2% | 14% |
| Between Headington roundabout and Marsh Lane interchange | 9% | 34% | -6% | 39% |
| Between Marsh Lane interchange and Cutteslowe roundabout | 8% | -17% | 6% | -46% |
| Between Cutteslowe roundabout and Wolvercote roundabout | 10% | 18% | 5% | 29% |
| Between Wolvercote roundabout and Peartree interchange | -14% | 16% | 6% | 33% |
| Between Peartree interchange and Botley interchange | 5% | -10% | -2% | 17% |
| Between Botley interchange and Hinksey Hill interchange | 16% | -36% | 3% | 2% |
| Oxford Road/Banbury Road between Kidlington roundabout and Cutteslowe roundabout | -13% | 2% | 1% | -1% |
| A40 between Thornhill P&R and Headington roundabout | 17% | 0% | 3% | 6% |
Data source: Inrix telematics data
| Road | 7am – 9am inbound | 7am – 9am outbound | 4pm – 7pm inbound | 4pm – 7pm outbound |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abingdon Road | -15% | -4% | -10% | -34% |
| Banbury Road | -4% | 6% | 0% | 29% |
| Cherwell Drive | 40% | 32% | 34% | 12% |
| Cowley Road | -8% | 2% | -8% | 4% |
| Garsington Road | -3% | 21% | -34% | 10% |
| Headington Road | -8% | 2% | -41% | 1% |
| Headley Way | -1% | 3% | 5% | -3% |
| Henley Avenue | -8% | -1% | 6% | -3% |
| High Street | -1% | -1% | 2% | 0% |
| Hollow Way | 6% | -12% | 2% | -23% |
| Iffley Road | -13% | 0% | 0% | -2% |
| London Road | -3% | 3% | -2% | -8% |
| Marston Ferry Road | 0% | -23% | -2% | -42% |
| Morrell Avenue | -6% | 1% | -36% | -2% |
| Oxford Road | 0% | 10% | 7% | 25% |
| Rose Hill | -11% | 3% | 9% | -6% |
| St Clements Street | -11% | -11% | -25% | -10% |
| The Slade | 0% | 6% | 5% | -1% |
| Warneford Lane | 4% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Windmill Road | -7% | NA | 1% | NA |
| Woodstock Road | 0% | 1% | 6% | 4% |
Data source: CitySwift and bus telematics
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 below are for individual months, and some of the areas shown 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
| Nov-25 | Dec-25 | Jan-26 | Feb-26 | Mar-26 | Apr-26 | May-26 | Jun-26 | Jul-26 | Aug-26 | Sep-26 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford city centre | -3.2% | -5.8% | -0.9% | -0.1% | -7.4% | -7.0% | -0.9% | -5.7% | 8.1% | 1.2% | -1.6% |
| 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% | -5.1% |
| Botley Road | -13.8% | -21.7% | -13.0% | -13.7% | -19.2% | -21.8% | -0.3% | -1.2% | 4.9% | 0.8% | -8.8% |
| Cowley centre | -0.7% | -9.2% | -7.6% | -9.5% | -11.6% | -8.3% | -9.8% | -10.3% | -13.0% | -15.8% | -17.9% |
| Headington | -7.9% | -7.6% | -10.2% | -11.5% | -12.5% | -2.9% | -5.6% | -7.8% | -6.8% | -3.6% | -7.5% |
| Hollow Way & Oxford Road | -6.0% | -7.0% | -7.8% | -10.3% | -8.5% | -2.5% | 2.7% | -2.2% | 3.1% | 0.5% | -7.2% |
| Jericho | -10.9% | -11.0% | -4.3% | -1.7% | -2.8% | -1.0% | -0.8% | -4.0% | 4.6% | 4.2% | 6.0% |
| St Clements & Cowley Road | -27.3% | -28.2% | -27.7% | -24.3% | -23.3% | -14.6% | -12.9% | -12.8% | 1.3% | -2.5% | -7.0% |
| Summertown | 0.7% | -4.7% | 3.5% | 6.7% | -5.3% | -5.3% | -4.4% | -3.3% | -1.4% | -4.0% | -10.7% |
| 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
| November 2025 to September 2026 total year-on-year change | |
|---|---|
| Oxford city centre | -2.2% |
| South East Town and City Centres (ONS) | -2.9% |
| Botley Road | -10.5% |
| Cowley centre | -10.4% |
| Headington | -7.7% |
| Hollow Way & Oxford Road | -4.3% |
| Jericho | -2.2% |
| St Clements & Cowley Road | -17.7% |
| Summertown | -2.7% |
| South East District or Local Centre (ONS) | -5.7% |
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.
View a map of the Oxford areas included. These areas have been updated since the July update to match the areas used for visitor numbers and meet Beauclair/BT’s technical requirements.
Comparator areas have been provided for context. The comparator areas are listed under the tables.
| Town or city centre | Nov-25 | Dec-25 | Jan-26 | Feb-26 | Mar-26 | Apr-26 | May-26 | June-26 | July-26 | Aug-26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford city centre | -8.7% | -5.5% | -1.6% | -3.6% | -0.5% | -5.2% | -1.2% | -6.1% | 5.3% | 4.8% |
| Other UK historic centres* | -4.5% | -7.4% | -3.3% | -2.5% | -5.3% | -7.8% | -4.4% | 0.5% | 1.7% | 0.1% |
| Jericho | -10.3% | -4.7% | -11.0% | -15.1% | -10.8% | -14.2% | -2.6% | -5.0% | 4.1% | -4.5% |
| St Clements & Cowley Road | -11.0% | -9.0% | -8.8% | -6.2% | -10.4% | -13.1% | -14.5% | -3.4% | -6.7% | -6.7% |
| Other UK suburban food and beverage led centres | -5.3% | 0.1% | 6.9% | -3.0% | -8.4% | -7.4% | -6.8% | -0.7% | 0.0% | -1.7% |
| Botley Road | -7.7% | -5.6% | 5.1% | -4.3% | 4.9% | -13.1% | 9.3% | 17.4% | 10.3% | 14.3% |
| Cowley centre | -18.4% | -7.1% | -7.1% | -4.7% | -8.4% | -9.8% | -14.4% | -6.4% | 1.3% | 7.6% |
| Headington | -19.3% | -9.6% | -12.4% | -9.3% | -17.0% | -18.8% | -16.6% | -12.7% | 1.8% | 1.3% |
| Hollow Way & Oxford Road | 37.6% | -7.6% | -4.9% | -1.8% | -2.8% | -4.0% | -10.3% | 1.5% | 16.2% | 21.3% |
| Summertown | -2.8% | -4.0% | -2.8% | 3.2% | 7.7% | -13.4% | -9.3% | -5.1% | -8.6% | -10.6% |
| Other UK suburban mixed retail centres | -2.0% | -3.1% | -1.0% | 0.7% | -0.4% | -3.7% | -2.6% | 4.0% | 1.9% | 0.4% |
| Other Oxfordshire town centres | -7.7% | -5.5% | -2.0% | 0.1% | -1.9% | -9.4% | -2.0% | 2.7% | 1.1% | 2.8% |
Other UK historic centres: Bath city centre, Cambridge city centre, Cheltenham town centre, Reading Town Centre, Winchester city centre
Other Oxfordshire town centres: Banbury, Abingdon, Witney, Bicester, Didcot
Other suburban food and beverage-led centres: Mill Rd, Cambridge; Gloucester Rd/Stokes Croft, Bristol; Montpellier/Regent St, Cheltenham; Oxford Rd, Reading; Larkhall, Bath
Other UK suburban mixed retail centres: North St, Southville/Bedminster, Bristol; Bath Rd, Cheltenham; High St, Cherry Hinton, Cambridge; Caversham Centre, Reading; Moorland Rd, Bath
Data source: Experian
| Destination | November 2025 to August 2026 total year-on-year change |
|---|---|
| Oxford city centre | -2.5% |
| Other UK historic centres* | -3.6% |
| Jericho | -7.4% |
| St Clements & Cowley Road | -9.1% |
| Other UK suburban food and beverage led centres | -2.8% |
| Botley Road | 2.5% |
| Cowley centre | -7.1% |
| Headington | -11.8% |
| Hollow Way & Oxford Road | 3.9% |
| Summertown | -4.8% |
| Other UK suburban mixed retail centres | -0.7% |
| Other Oxfordshire town centres | -2.4% |
Park and Ride usage
| Park and ride car park | Change % |
|---|---|
| Peartree | 10.5% |
| Oxford Parkway (includes park and ride and station car park) | 19.0% |
| Thornhill | 16.0% |
| Redbridge | 30.0% |
| Seacourt* |
Source: Automatic Traffic Counters
*No data recorded during September 2025
| Site | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford Parkway | |||||||
| 2025 | 28% | 36% | 32% | 33% | 27% | 21% | 10% |
| 2026 | 35% | 40% | 49% | 36% | 33% | 25% | 12% |
| Peartree | |||||||
| 2025 | 48% | 56% | 53% | 51% | 70% | 51% | 28% |
| 2026 | 45% | 57% | 55% | 50% | 62% | 46% | 25% |
| Redbridge | |||||||
| 2025 | 64% | 72% | 67% | 63% | 81% | 76% | 43% |
| 2026 | 76% | 92% | 93% | 82% | 91% | 71% | 37% |
| Seacourt | |||||||
| 2025* | |||||||
| 2026 | 44% | 53% | 55% | 48% | 33% | 26% | 13% |
| Thornhill | |||||||
| 2025 | 50% | 59% | 47% | 51% | 61% | 43% | 21% |
| 2026 | 54% | 59% | 55% | 54% | 59% | 43% | 20% |
Source: Automatic Traffic Counters
*No data recorded during September 2025
Permit and enforcement data
The tables below show the number of each type of permit issued from 24 September 2025 (when the permit system opened for applications) to 21st September 2026.
The total number of permits issued to 21st 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 | 683 |
| 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 September and 30th September 2026.
| 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 30 September.
| 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 September 2026 to 30 September 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
The income from the temporary congestion charge is currently being spent on the combined park and ride ticket offer, Travel Cards and free Park and Ride parking for NHS and school staff, and scheme administration.
Link to data for November 2025
Link to data for December 2025