Oxford traffic filters: How they will work

If you drive a private car in Oxford you may need to change your journey if you don't have a permit.

The location of each filter has been chosen to help reduce congestion in and around Oxford. The six filters will work together to reduce traffic on the city’s roads.

The traffic filters will be located on:

  • St Cross Road, central Oxford
  • Thames Street, central Oxford
  • Hythe Bridge Street, central Oxford
  • St Clement’s Street, east Oxford
  • Marston Ferry Road, Marston
  • Hollow Way, Cowley
Times of operation and roads
Road Restriction days Restriction times
Hythe Bridge Street Monday to Sunday 7am-7pm
St Cross Road Monday to Sunday 7am-7pm
St Clement’s Street Monday to Sunday 7am-7pm
Thames Street Monday to Sunday 7am-7pm
Marston Ferry Road Monday to Saturday 7-9am and 3-6pm
Hollow Way Monday to Saturday 7-9am and 3-6pm

Filters will operate all year round, including bank holidays.

Map

View a full-screen map showing the location of each filter.

Vehicle access

The following vehicles can travel through at any time:

  • buses 
  • coaches 
  • minibuses 
  • vans or light commercial vehicles 
  • mopeds 
  • motorbikes 
  • heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) 
  • emergency vehicles

ANPR camera monitoring

At each traffic filter site, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras will monitor and enforce the restrictions. There will be no physical barriers.

Each filter will cover a very short section of road (just a few metres). Cars can use the road outside of the filter point at any time without a permit.

Private cars need a permit to drive through a filter when the filters are operating. Cars without a valid permit driving through the filters will receive a fine of £70 (reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days).

Permits

Important notes on all permits

  • A permit is only required to drive a car through the traffic filters during their hours of operation.  No permit is needed to drive any other type of vehicle through the filters.
  • Traffic filter permits can only be used for the six new trial traffic filters being introduced in autumn 2024.  The permits can’t be used for existing bus gates, low traffic neighbourhoods or any other restrictions. 
  • All permits are free of charge and will be valid for 12 months unless stated otherwise.
  • Only one of each type of permit will be issued per person or business.  Some permit types allow you to link more than one car to the permit.  You can have more than one type of permit type at the same time (for example, you might be a resident in the Oxford Permit Area and also an unpaid carer).
  • To apply for some types of permit you’ll need to be the registered keeper of the car which means you’ll need to be the person named on the car’s V5C (logbook) issued by DVLA. If you have a company car or your car is on a long-term lease, hire purchase or other finance arrangement and you are not named on the V5C, you’ll need to provide evidence that the car is kept exclusively for your use.
  • For other types of permit, the car will just need to be registered at your home address. This means the address of the registered keeper shown on the V5C will need to be the same as your home address (but again, we can accept applications for company/leased/hire purchased cars, as long as you provide the required evidence).
  • The details of the permits offered may still change as we develop the permit system and speak to residents, businesses and organisations.
Permits
Permit type Who can apply Details
Resident in the Oxford permit area Resident

Permit allows for 100 day passes per car per calendar year. A day pass is for one calendar day, from midnight to midnight. Each day pass allows you to drive through all six traffic filters as many times as you like on that day. In other words, the permit is for 100 days, not 100 journeys

Maximum one car per person (who must be the registered keeper). Maximum three cars per household. 

Resident in the Oxfordshire permit area Resident

Permit allows for 25 day passes per car per calendar year. A day pass is for one calendar day, from midnight to midnight.

Each day pass allows you to drive through all six traffic filters as many times as you like on that day. In other words, the permit is for 25 days, not 25 journeys. 

Maximum one car per person (who must be the registered keeper). Maximum two cars per household. 

Blue Badge holder UK Blue Badge holder or international equivalent

Up to two cars may be nominated per permit.  A nominated car may be driven through the filters only when being used for, or in connection with, the transport of a Blue Badge holder. The nominated cars can be changed as required.

You can’t apply for this permit if you already have a disability benefit claimant permit or a SEN school student permit.

Disability benefit claimant Person receiving the mobility component of the disability living allowance, or the mobility part of the personal independence payment

Up to two nominated cars per permit. A nominated car may be driven through the filters only when being used for, or in connection with, the transport of a person receiving disability benefit. The nominated cars can be changed as required.

You can’t apply for this permit if you already have a blue badge holder permit or a SEN school student permit.

Disabled tax class car The registered keeper of the disabled tax class car A disabled tax class car with a permit may be driven through the filters when being used for, or in connection with, the transport of a person with a disability.

School students with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

 

Parent or legal guardian of a student receiving Direct Travel Payments attending a school in the Oxford permit area, or living in the Oxford Permit Area and attending any school  

Up to two nominated cars per permit.

A nominated car may be driven through the filters only when being used for, or in connection with, the transport of a qualifying student. The nominated cars can be changed as required.

You can’t apply for this permit if you already have a blue badge holder permit or a disability benefit claimant permit.

Unpaid carers

An unpaid carer living in, or caring for someone who lives in, the Oxford permit area.

To qualify you will need to be either:

  • in receipt of carer’s allowance 
  • registered as a carer with your GP

One car per permit, which must be registered at your home address.  Up to two people can apply for an unpaid carer’s permit per care recipient address.

The person who you’re caring for must not live at your address.

Community health or care worker

 

Professional or voluntary health or care workers working for a qualifying social care or health provider whose role regularly requires them to:

  1. provide clinical health services or social care services at multiple locations in the Oxford permit area on the same day or;
     
  2. urgently and at short notice travel to a location in the Oxford permit area to deal with any matter involving patient or staff welfare, building security or safety, or
     
  3. transport patients to or from any hospital or healthcare facility in the Oxford permit area. 

One car per permit must be registered at your home address. 

For business purposes only. The permit must not be used for commuting on days when no operational journeys are expected to be made. 

You must supply written confirmation from your employer (or the organisation you volunteer for) that you are eligible for this permit.

Your employer (or the organisation for which you volunteer) must be a registered healthcare provider providing services in Oxfordshire or a relevant provider of social care services.

Frequent hospital patient Patient required to attend multiple planned appointments at a hospital in the Oxford permit area

 

Up to two cars may be nominated per permit. The permit will be valid until your last planned appointment, or for 12 months (whichever is sooner).  You can renew your permit after 12 months if you need to attend more appointments. 

The cars may be driven through the filters only when being used for, or in connection with, the transport of the person needing to attend hospital appointments. The nominated cars can be changed as required. 

Emergency or health service car Qualifying emergency or health service provider The car must be registered to the qualifying provider
Firefighter Firefighters regularly working from a fire station in the Oxford permit area

For emergency response and business uses only.

The permit must not be used for commuting on days when no operational journeys are expected to be made. 

The car must be registered at the home address of the applicant.

Hackney carriage or private hire vehicle Hackney carriage or private hire driver The car must be registered to either the driver or the operator.
Car club car Operator of a car club with CoMoUK accreditation The cars must be registered to the car club.
Business car used as goods vehicle A business regularly operating in the Oxford permit area

For collecting, delivering or carrying goods or for carrying tools or equipment needed to carry out work for the business in question. In each case for operational business purposes only.

The permit must not be used for commuting on days when no operational journeys are expected to be made. 

The cars must be registered to the business.

Personal car used as goods vehicle Employee of a business regularly operating in Oxford permit area

For collecting, delivering or carrying goods or for carrying tools or equipment needed to carry out work for the business in question. In each case for operational business purposes only.

The permit must not be used for commuting on days when no operational journeys are expected to be made. 

The car must be registered at the home address of the applicant.

Approved driving instructor A Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) approved instructor

For travelling to students and during lessons or tests only. 

The car must be registered at the home address of the applicant, or to a driving school.

Hearse or funeral car Funeral care business

Hearse means a car with special equipment for the transport of deceased people registered to and operated by a funeral care business.

Funeral car means a car registered to and operated by a funeral care business being used for transporting mourners to and from funeral venues.

 

How to apply

You will be able to create an online account to apply for and manage your permit. If you cannot apply online, you will be able to call our Customer Service Centre for assistance. The permit system will open for applications well in advance of the traffic filters trial start.