Britain’s first Zero Emission Zone pilot to launch in 2022

Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council have confirmed that Britain’s first Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) pilot is set to launch in Oxford in February 2022.

The exact start date for the ZEZ pilot will be confirmed later this year, followed by a review of the timeline for the wider ZEZ to cover most of Oxford city centre.

The ZEZ pilot means polluting vehicles will be charged if driven in key city centre streets between the hours of 7am - 7pm, seven days a week. Under the ZEZ pilot, those who drive polluting vehicles into the zone will be charged, with the level of the charge dependent on how polluting the vehicle is. Under the scheme, zero emission vehicles will not be charged to drive in the zone.

The ZEZ pilot will work in a similar way to the London Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone. The measure will allow both councils to gain useful experience and information before introducing a larger ZEZ covering most of Oxford city centre, subject to further public consultation.

Since the scheme’s approval in March 2021, both councils have been working on preparations for the ZEZ pilot, which includes preparing innovative enforcement systems, as well as working with businesses and residents to support the launch of the scheme.

This work has included, trialling e-cargo bikes to Oxford’s Covered Market, updating the Lord Mayor’s car to a Nissan Leaf, installing rapid electric charging points for taxis and residents, the start of cable route works for UK’s largest public electric vehicle charging hub at Redbridge Park and Ride.

Tom Hayes, cabinet member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, Oxford City Council, said: “If you’ve been to the shops recently and wondered why some shelves look bare, you’ll understand why we’re launching the Zero Emission Zone early next year. With businesses being hit by shortages and Covid’s lingering effects, we want to give Oxford’s economy a helping hand to have the best Christmas possible. With our IT problems sorted, the Zero Emission Zone pilot can launch in February 2022 in a way which we can truly learn from. That way we can move to extending the ZEZ across the city centre, so that we can improve the air and health of people.”