Temporary congestion charge considered for city
Car drivers could be forced to pay a £5 temporary congestion charge to access a city centre.
Oxfordshire County Council said it was considering setting up a two-year scheme in Oxford from the autumn.
It said action was needed due to traffic issues caused by the long-term closure of Botley Road for works.
However, Oxford City Council leader Susan Brown said the proposal would "allow people who can afford to do so to buy access to our streets".
Paying the £5 charge, which would only apply to cars, would allow drivers to go through the six charge locations until the end of the day.
Permits would be available for carers, traders, blue badge holders and those commuting to or living in a central area of the city.
The county council said action was needed because of delays to a planned trial of traffic filters, which cannot be introduced until Botley Road is reopened.
The route is currently shut because of overrunning works at Oxford Station and the railway bridge, which are now not due to finish until August next year.
The charging points for the congestion zone would be in the same places as the planned traffic filters:
Hythe Bridge Street
St Cross Road
St Clement's Street
Thames Street
Marston Ferry Road
Hollow Way
Andrew Gant, in charge of transport for the Liberal Democrat-run county council, said: "We urgently need to see improvements to travel around the city, better bus services and less traffic overall, to help people get around.
"We must take action for our residents, businesses and visitors while Botley Road remains closed."
However, Oxford City Council said there has been no previous consultation on the plan.
Labour leader Susan Brown said: "Yet again the city is being done to rather than engaged with in preparing transport proposals.
"We need a full review of transport policies with a view to tackling congestion in our city. This is something a Greater Oxford Council would do."
Campaign group Cyclox welcomed the proposals, saying Oxford's congestion had "reached crisis point".
"We can't leave things as they are; if nothing is done the city will grind to a halt under the weight of car traffic," it said.
"We cannot build more roads to magic congestion away."
Previously Oxford Bus Group warned that congestion was at "emergency levels".
The proposals will be discussed by the council's cabinet on 17 June and, if approved, a six-week public consultation would start later this month.
You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
City traffic filters postponed by Botley Road delay
Call for city's traffic filter plans to be scrapped
Council urged for 'Plan B' to tackle congestion
Oxfordshire County Council
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Palestinians say local gunmen and Israeli forces opened fire near Gaza aid site
Palestinians in Gaza say they were fired on once again as they headed to one of the aid distribution centres run by the Israeli- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on Monday. Witnesses said that for the first time they were fired on by Palestinian gunmen near the GHF site in the Tal al-Sultan area of Rafah, in the south. They also said Israeli troops fired on them. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry said six people were killed and 99 injured from areas designated for aid collection. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports. The GHF said the Tal al-Sultan site did not open on Monday and that there were no incidents at two other sites which did hand out aid. It comes days after Israel's prime minister acknowledged that it was arming Palestinian clans in Gaza who were opposed to Hamas. Gaza-bound activist boat carrying Greta Thunberg towed to Israel Gaza health workers say four killed by Israeli gunfire near aid centre Netanyahu confirms Israel arming clans opposed to Hamas in Gaza Almost every day since the GHF began distributing aid on 26 May, there have been deadly incidents near one or other of the four centres it has so far opened. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed while approaching one site in the Tal al-Sultan area of Rafah on a route that runs through an Israeli military zone. In the previous incidents, witnesses have said that Israeli forces opened fire at crowds. The Israeli military has denied that troops fired at civilians within the site, but it has said that troops fired at "suspects" who ignored warning shots and approached them. In Monday's incident, people at the scene said that Palestinian gunmen shot at them, as well as Israeli forces. They said the gunmen appeared to be allied with the Israeli forces, as they were operating near them and moved back into an Israeli military zone. One witness told BBC Arabic's Middle East daily programme that he saw a group of young men dressed in civilian clothes and with their faces completely covered when he arrived in the area to get a box of food aid from the GHF site. "At first, we thought they might be Palestinian youths helping with the process, but suddenly, they began shooting at us," Hisham Saeed Salem said. "Even those who managed to get a box of aid were targeted and shot. We still don't know who these attackers are. They took everything from us - some even stole from us during the chaos," he added. Another man, Mohammed Sakout, said: "Several young men were shot and killed right behind me. I narrowly escaped death - some bullets passed just inches from my head." "At first, it was the Israeli army that was shooting at civilians. But today, we were shocked to discover the presence of gangs and militias," he added. At Nasser hospital in the nearby city of Khan Younis, a seriously injured man being treated for a gunshot wound to his neck, Mohammed Kabaga, told the Associated Press: "A group of masked armed men who were organising us starting firing towards us directly." "We went to get aid. They said to stand in line. We stood in line and suddenly they started shooting at us. While I was standing, I was surprised when a bullet hit me, I got dizzy and fell down," he said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told the BBC that it was looking into the reports. The GHF said in a statement that it opened two sites on Monday in the Saudi neighbourhood of Rafah and Wadi Gaza, in the centre of the Strip, and that "aid distribution at both sites proceeded without incident". When asked by the BBC about the reports from Tal al-Sultan, a GHF spokesperson said there was "nothing around our sites". However, a post on the group's Facebook account did say on Monday afternoon that the Tal al-Sultan centre was closed due to the "chaos of the crowds". The GHF's interim executive director, John Acree, said it had delivered more than 11 million meals over the past two weeks "without an injury or major incident at our distribution sites". Gaza's health ministry said hospitals had received a total of 127 dead and 1,287 injured people from "areas designated for aid distribution" during the same period. The GHF, which uses US private security contractors, aims to bypass the UN as the main supplier of aid to Palestinians. The UN and other aid groups refuse to co-operate with the new system, saying it contravenes the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence. They also warn that Gaza's 2.1 million population faces catastrophic levels of hunger after an almost three-month total Israeli blockade that was partially eased three weeks ago. The US and Israel say the GHF's system will prevent aid being stolen by Hamas, which the group denies doing. The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. At least 54,927 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump says it would 'great' to arrest Newsom. Their relationship and politics at play
President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are sharply at odds as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement continue in Los Angeles -- and both are framing their confrontation as not only about the protests but also in terms of politics, some of which are appearing in ways they've dealt with before. On Monday, the president said it would be a "great thing" if border czar Tom Homan arrested Newsom; in response, the California governor fired back that the comment is an "unmistakable step toward authoritarianism." Asked on Monday afternoon by ABC News what crime Newsom has committed to warrant his arrest, Trump said the governor's "primary crime is running for governor because he's done such a bad job." Newsom responded on X, "Donald Trump admits he will arrest a sitting governor simply because he ran for office." MORE: War of words between Trump and Newsom over LA protests escalates with arrest threat With the protests, Trump, who has characterized them as "violent, insurrectionist mobs" and "Gavin Newscum inspired Riots," has deployed National Guard members to Los Angeles. Newsom has asked the administration to rescind the deployment and said Monday that he is suing the Trump administration, claiming Trump illegally federalized the National Guard. But Trump is not only criticizing the protestors -- he has also criticized the leaders of the state and the city, framing their political leadership as failures. "The very incompetent 'Governor,' Gavin Newscum, and 'Mayor,' Karen Bass, should be saying, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL. WE WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT YOU, SIR,'" Trump wrote on his social media platform on Monday. "Instead, they choose to lie to the People of California and America by saying that we weren't needed, and that these are 'peaceful protests.'" Trump has also long been critical of the leadership in most Democratic-run states, often focusing his ire on California. MORE: Johnson: Trump did 'exactly what he needed to do' in sending National Guard to LA The situation, separately, gives Trump the chance to take high-profile action on immigration enforcement -- a key issue for the president during his 2024 campaign and one that has remained a priority during the first few months of his administration. A recent poll from Marquette Law School taken in early to mid-May found that Trump had positive or around even job approval on border security and immigration. Newsom, on his end, has explicitly accused the White House of exacerbating the situation for political gain. "They want a spectacle. They want the violence," he said in an email to supporters sent through his political action committee on Sunday night. "They think this is good for them politically." ABC News has asked the White House for comment on Newsom's claim. MORE: What's in Trump's 'big' tax and immigration bill House Republicans are struggling to pass Newsom and Trump have long been at odds, although the two had a brief detente in their relationship in the past few months. In the aftermath of wildfires in January that devastated the Los Angeles region, Trump visited the city toward the end of the month and was greeted on the tarmac by Newsom with several handshakes and an embrace; Newsom also met with Trump in Washington in early February, and told CNN afterwards, "I have just all the confidence in the world that it's going to be a strong partnership moving forward." But Newsom, around that time, also approved $50 million for funds that could be used in legal battles against the federal government. And Newsom grew more critical of Trump in the months afterward -- attacking the president's tariff policy in an ad that aired on Fox News where he said the "tariffs punish families." The Trump administration has appeared to direct punishment at California as well. Earlier this month, Trump vowed to impose "large scale fines" on California after a transgender teen competed in a California state final competition in track and field. Last week, the Trump administration signaled that it would cut federal funding for a high-speed rail project in the state. Newsom, separately, has begun to build a national profile amid speculation that he could run for president in 2028, which included stoking more speculation through a buzzy podcast launch in March. Newsom is term-limited and cannot run for governor in 2026. While the Los Angeles situation is tied to Newsom's current work as governor and not to any current or future campaign, it puts him back in the national spotlight and at the center of one of the nation's highest-profile political issues. Newsom referenced what he framed as the national stakes in his response to Trump's comments on his potential arrest: "This is a day I hoped I would never see in America… this is a line we cannot cross as a nation." ABC News' Molly Nagle and Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Trump says it would 'great' to arrest Newsom. Their relationship and politics at play
President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom are sharply at odds as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement continue in Los Angeles -- and both are framing their confrontation as not only about the protests but also in terms of politics, some of which are appearing in ways they've dealt with before. On Monday, the president said it would be a "great thing" if border czar Tom Homan arrested Newsom; in response, the California governor fired back that the comment is an "unmistakable step toward authoritarianism." Asked on Monday afternoon by ABC News what crime Newsom has committed to warrant his arrest, Trump said the governor's "primary crime is running for governor because he's done such a bad job." Newsom responded on X, "Donald Trump admits he will arrest a sitting governor simply because he ran for office." MORE: War of words between Trump and Newsom over LA protests escalates with arrest threat With the protests, Trump, who has characterized them as "violent, insurrectionist mobs" and "Gavin Newscum inspired Riots," has deployed National Guard members to Los Angeles. Newsom has asked the administration to rescind the deployment and said Monday that he is suing the Trump administration, claiming Trump illegally federalized the National Guard. But Trump is not only criticizing the protestors -- he has also criticized the leaders of the state and the city, framing their political leadership as failures. "The very incompetent 'Governor,' Gavin Newscum, and 'Mayor,' Karen Bass, should be saying, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL. WE WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT YOU, SIR,'" Trump wrote on his social media platform on Monday. "Instead, they choose to lie to the People of California and America by saying that we weren't needed, and that these are 'peaceful protests.'" Trump has also long been critical of the leadership in most Democratic-run states, often focusing his ire on California. MORE: Johnson: Trump did 'exactly what he needed to do' in sending National Guard to LA The situation, separately, gives Trump the chance to take high-profile action on immigration enforcement -- a key issue for the president during his 2024 campaign and one that has remained a priority during the first few months of his administration. A recent poll from Marquette Law School taken in early to mid-May found that Trump had positive or around even job approval on border security and immigration. Newsom, on his end, has explicitly accused the White House of exacerbating the situation for political gain. "They want a spectacle. They want the violence," he said in an email to supporters sent through his political action committee on Sunday night. "They think this is good for them politically." ABC News has asked the White House for comment on Newsom's claim. MORE: What's in Trump's 'big' tax and immigration bill House Republicans are struggling to pass Newsom and Trump have long been at odds, although the two had a brief detente in their relationship in the past few months. In the aftermath of wildfires in January that devastated the Los Angeles region, Trump visited the city toward the end of the month and was greeted on the tarmac by Newsom with several handshakes and an embrace; Newsom also met with Trump in Washington in early February, and told CNN afterwards, "I have just all the confidence in the world that it's going to be a strong partnership moving forward." But Newsom, around that time, also approved $50 million for funds that could be used in legal battles against the federal government. And Newsom grew more critical of Trump in the months afterward -- attacking the president's tariff policy in an ad that aired on Fox News where he said the "tariffs punish families." The Trump administration has appeared to direct punishment at California as well. Earlier this month, Trump vowed to impose "large scale fines" on California after a transgender teen competed in a California state final competition in track and field. Last week, the Trump administration signaled that it would cut federal funding for a high-speed rail project in the state. Newsom, separately, has begun to build a national profile amid speculation that he could run for president in 2028, which included stoking more speculation through a buzzy podcast launch in March. Newsom is term-limited and cannot run for governor in 2026. While the Los Angeles situation is tied to Newsom's current work as governor and not to any current or future campaign, it puts him back in the national spotlight and at the center of one of the nation's highest-profile political issues. Newsom referenced what he framed as the national stakes in his response to Trump's comments on his potential arrest: "This is a day I hoped I would never see in America… this is a line we cannot cross as a nation." ABC News' Molly Nagle and Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report.