Congestion charge signs to be amended after error

The signs in question say motorists can pay the fee "on line", instead of "online"

A local authority has said it will amend road signs alerting motorists to a new £5 congestion charge after a grammatical error was spotted.

The grey and white signs advertising the new charge for cars passing through six points in Oxford say motorists can pay the fee "on line", instead of "online".

Oxfordshire County Council, which had installed various different signs sharing details of the fee ahead of its launch on Wednesday, said the error would be "amended in coming days".

The authority has already come under fire over new signage installed to coincide with the charge, after some were "hidden" behind overgrown bushes.

A spokesperson for the authority said the grammatical mistake had been "a supplier error so there is no cost to the council".

It is unknown how many new signs featuring the mistake have been installed or how much it will cost the supplier to replace them.

It comes just a day into the new congestion charge, which began on Wednesday and sees drivers charged £5 for passing through any one of the six charge points along key routes.

The Oxfordshire County Council scheme only applies to cars, and exemption permits are available for various groups - including blue badge holders and local residents.

As part of the scheme, bus travel from Oxford's park and ride sites has been made free for up to two adults and three children with a valid parking ticket for the first three months.

Multiple signs have been spotted with the mistake

There were widespread reports on Wednesday that the offer of free travel had led to busy traffic around the sites, with one of the five park and rides running out of parking space all together.

Andrew Gant, the council's traffic chief, said it was "great to see people are taking up" the free bus travel offer.

"Dynamic signs on the approach to any full park and ride site will direct people to the nearest alternative," he added.