A Labour MP has slammed a new congestion charge scheme set to take effect next month in a major city, warning that it will unfairly target local residents.
It comes after Oxfordshire County Council announced a temporary £5 congestion charge would come into effect on October 29, earlier than the original November 10 date.
The charge would apply to drivers passing through six key roads in Oxford without a permit and was approved by the council earlier this month, despite 74 per cent of consultation respondents opposing it.
Now Labour MP for Oxford East, Anneliese Dodds, said the policy was “poorly thought out” and criticised the council for planning to spend up to £1million of the money raised on free Park and Ride fares for non-residents.
“Most of the funds from this scheme will go to people from outside Oxford, rather than improving transport for those who live and work here,” she said.
Ms Dodds also highlighted that there was no public mention of the congestion charge in Liberal Democrat campaign literature ahead of the May local elections this year.
She added that council modelling assumed more than 10,000 Oxford residents will switch car journeys to cycling, but warned that no extra funding has been allocated to improve cycling infrastructure.
In response to the criticism, Councillor Andrew Gant defended the plan, stating that it would reduce congestion, improve bus services, and make roads safer.
The congestion charge scheme will come into effect a month earlier than planned
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PAHe also suggested that opposing the charge would slow bus services and reduce safety on routes to school for residents in the area.
But Ms Dodds and local Labour councillors strongly rejected these claims, stating that the council’s arguments were misleading and that residents had legitimate concerns about fairness and safety.
“You know these claims are untrue, and we are therefore disappointed to see them in your letter,” she wrote to the councillor.
The MP stressed that the scheme has caused division in Oxford communities, with residents feeling their views have been ignored.
“The only way to heal these divisions is for local people to be listened to,” she said. “So far, the council has not done that.”
“This is not just about money,” Ms Dodds said. “It’s about fairness and safety. Residents are being asked to change their daily travel habits without adequate support or consultation, while commuters from outside the city receive the benefits.”
Local residents have also voiced frustration with the policy, citing the lack of community consultation and the potential impact on small businesses and day-to-day life.
The congestion charge will be active from Monday to Sunday, between 7am and 7pm, on Hythe Bridge Street, St Cross Road, St Clement’s Street, and Thames Street.
“There is huge disquiet about the division that has been produced by different travel schemes,” Ms Dodds said in the response.
“This concern transcends whether people are in favour of more or less active travel. The only way to heal these divisions is for local people to be listened to — and so far, the council has not done that.”
The £5 charge is expected to remain in place for several months as part of a trial, with exemptions for certain residents and vehicles.