“Support grows” for Oxford's congestion charge

“Support is growing” for the congestion charge, say civil society and business leaders as they sign an open letter to Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet. This follows transport leaders expressing their support recently.

Nearly 25 Oxfordshire-based organisations and leaders from across health, business, climate, active travel, and social justice signed the letter. Signatories include Rachel Stancliffe, CEO, The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare; Jessop and Cook Architects; Rose Hill and Iffley Low Carbon; and logistics firms Darcia and Pedal & Post.

They say "When roads are gridlocked, everyone loses but especially people on lower incomes doing vital work in our city, from care workers and NHS staff to local traders and teachers. This is not a small step. It’s a necessary and timely one, and we stand together in welcoming it.”

At Monday’s Oxford City Council meeting, however, a heated debate saw Labour and IOA councillors vote to oppose the congestion charge, with the Lib Dems and Greens supporting it.

The full text of the letter is below.

Dear Members of Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet,

We, the undersigned voices and organisations representing health, business, healthy place-shaping, active travel, environmental and social justice interests across Oxfordshire, add our voices to the growing wave of support for the proposed temporary congestion charge.

This is not a small step. It’s a necessary and timely one, and we stand together in welcoming it.

Beyond congestion: this is about fairness, health, and how we share our city. Congestion traps buses in the same delays as cars, makes cycling to work or school more dangerous, and pollutes the air for pedestrians and neighbourhoods. It restricts access to safe, reliable and affordable journeys, especially for those who rely on public transport and active travel.

When roads are gridlocked, everyone loses but especially people on lower incomes doing vital work in our city, from care workers and NHS staff to local traders and teachers.

This temporary charge helps flip the balance. It’s a progressive step that frees up road space for those who genuinely need to drive - like Blue Badge holders, unpaid carers and community workers - while reinvesting an estimated £3.7 million a year into cheaper and better bus and park and ride services for those who need them most, both within and outside of the city.

Better journeys, fairer choices, resilient futures

When we prioritise buses and make space for efficient, inclusive travel, we create a transport system that works better for everyone. It’s a step toward a city that’s fairer, healthier, climate-resilient, and future-fit.

We see this proposal not as an end in itself, but as a step towards delivering better, more reliable journeys for everyone, cleaner air and safer streets, more choice, and - critically - a long-term shift towards people-centred urban design that prioritises equity, health and wellbeing in a changing climate.

A test of our courage and collective values

This decision is about so much more than traffic. It’s a test of our shared ability to make the fair, practical changes that a healthy, low-carbon future demands.

In a time when the impacts of climate breakdown are becoming increasingly visible, these local steps toward cleaner air, fewer car journeys, and better shared and public transport are how real progress is made.

It might not be perfect. But if we can’t support a decongestion measure that delivers cleaner air, better buses and fairer mobility, how will we find the courage to face the even harder choices ahead?

A moment to unite behind a better Oxford

The public consultation offers an opportunity to unite around a shared vision: a fairer Oxford that works better for residents, businesses, and future generations.

Our organisations work every day with communities across the county. We know that people care deeply about health, fairness, climate, and freedom of movement. The proposed charge aligns with these values, and with the recommendations of Oxford’s Citizens’ Assembly, which offers a rare and representative glimpse of what Oxfordshire residents support when fully informed.

We urge Cabinet to stay the course, to continue building trust, and to see this step not as a standalone measure, but as part of a broader transformation — toward cleaner, calmer, more connected streets that put fairness and social justice at their heart.

Signatories

Organisations & businesses

1. CPRE Oxfordshire - The Countryside Charity
2. Climate Collective Oxford
3. Community First Oxfordshire
4. Velocity Cycle Couriers
5. Abingdon Carbon Cutters
6. Jessop and Cook Architects
7. Pedal and Post
8. Darcica Logistics Ltd
9. Oxford Friends of the Earth
10. Bioabundance Community Interest Company
11. Headington Liveable Streets
12. Abingdon Liveable Streets
13. Low Carbon Oxford North, Trustees
14. Rose Hill and Iffley Low Carbon
15. Sustainable Kirtlington
16. Windrush Bike Project
17. Banbury Active Travel Supporters
18. Oxfordshire Liveable Streets
19. Cyclox
20. Bike Safe
21. Coalition for Healthy Streets and Active Travel
22. Oxford Pedestrians Association

Leadership voices

1. Professor Lord John Krebs, Cross Bench Peer
2. Rachel Stancliffe, CEO, The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare
3. Pete Sudbury, Climate Leader, Former Deputy Leader Oxfordshire County Council
4. Dr Alison Hill MBE, Public Health Doctor and Cycling Advocate
5. Jack Collin, Oxford resident / Cycling UK and Sustrans

Supporting signatories from the transport sector

Luke Marion, Managing Director, Oxford Bus Company
Sajad Khan, General Secretary, City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association (Colta)

Other businesses and organisations can add their names by visiting this link