Oxford to see Britain's first Zero Emission Zone in 2022

The UK city of Oxford will launch its Zero Emission Zone pilot by February 2022. The exact date still needs to be set, although in around 5 months' time, polluting vehicles will have to pay a fee to enter the city centre's streets between 07.00 and 19.00 each day.

The charge that each non-zero emission vehicle will have to pay is linked to the emissions level of the vehicle, with only zero-emission vehicles being free to enter the city centre without being charged. Other vehicles will pay between £2 and £10, with the latter being the charge for all vehicles that are not considered to have low emissions. The fees will be doubled from August 2025.

The launch date was delayed in order to resolve some technical complexities in the online systems that will support the scheme. Launching the pilot next year will avoid the risk of disruptions that the pilot scheme may have caused to businesses in the run up to Christmas.

Councillor Duncan Enright, Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Travel and Development Strategy, said: "Poor air quality in our beloved city is a major concern, and alongside the climate emergency this means we need to act. The Oxford Zero Emission Zone pilot is an important step in tackling these problems, and will make our city centre a cleaner, healthier and more attractive place to live, work, visit and shop. It will also mean there is more space for those on foot and bikes, as well as our vital bus and taxi services. We will be working in coming months with residents and businesses to adapt to this change, and plan next steps to make Oxford a cleaner, lovelier and more sustainable city, fit for the future."

Article published first at Oxford Mail on 8 September 2021.