Labour is calling on residents to act now to avoid a £5 daily charge when the scheme is launched on Wednesday 29th October.
Under the new rules, residents without a valid permit will face the £5 penalty if they drive through six locations. This may affect you if you want to drive to the train station, ice rink, City of Oxford College (Activate Learning), or Westgate by car.
However, applications for permits should be made at least 10 working days in advance for residents to avoid the risk of being charged as soon as the scheme begins.
Although Oxfordshire County Council – run by the Lib Dems – is sending letters to every household, Labour can reveal that the final batch of letters is not expected to arrive until the week before the charge comes into force. This means many residents may not receive information in time, with some potentially finding out only after charges have already started. Labour councillors are urging people not to wait for the letter, but to apply straight away.
“We are worried many people still don’t realise the Congestion Charge is starting so soon – especially since the start date has been brought forward from 10th November to 29th October. The last-minute letters mean some residents may not even find out until after they’ve already been charged. We don’t want anyone getting caught out – please apply for your permits now,” says Labour & Co-op County Councillor James Fry, Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport Management.
Applications for permits can be made online via the Oxfordshire County Council website at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/congestioncharge
Cllr Liz Brighouse, Leader of the County Labour Group, adds: “Residents shouldn’t be penalised just because the Lib Dems are in a rush to put in congestion charging that they didn’t even mention before the local elections – and which 74% of people were against according to the County Council’s own consultation. We have been pushing for a less hurried rollout of the scheme to allow every single resident to have time to respond to the letters they will receive this month. Too many people are still unsure of the boundaries of the charging system for different areas, or are confused about how to navigate the website, or are unaware about how to register their cars for permits without having to go online in the first place. The Lib Dems need to fix that, and fast.”
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Notes to editors:
Oxford Labour, including Labour City Councillors, Labour County Councillors, and Anneliese Dodds MP, have been against the Oxford Congestion Charge scheme since day one: