Abena Poku-Awuah
Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council have launched a final, formal consultation on the Oxford Zero Emission Zone Pilot. The zone aims to reduce air pollution in the city and beyond. The ZEZ Pilot would operate as a charging scheme between the hours of 7am and 7pm. Only zero emission vehicles would be allowed in the zone free of charge, while other vehicles would be charged based on their emission levels.
The area covered by the proposed ZEZ Pilot was referred to as the “Red Zone” in previous consultations on the project. The January 2020 consultation on ZEZ carried out before the COVID-19 pandemic summarises interesting data from the (nearly 900) respondents.
What are your views on the proposed hours when charges would apply for non-compliant vehicles (7am to 7pm, every day)
The table below summarises the most commonly suggested changes in the online responses and emails received.
This consultation is a resumption of the public consultation that was halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The councils have agreed to accelerate the introduction of the wider ZEZ covering the city centre (previously called the “Green Zone”), and this is one of the reasons why the first phase is being introduced as a Zero Emission Zone Pilot.
Full details of the proposals can be found here, including FAQs.
The formal consultation will run from the 20th November 2020 until midnight on the 17th January 2021.
If you would like to discuss the proposals in more detail, please get in touch via z…@oxfordshire.gov.uk.
