Cars can't reach station without congestion charge

Oxford Railway Station is currently only accessible from the east, due to the ongoing Botley Road closure

The inability for motorists to drive to Oxford railway station without passing through a congestion charge point is "typical of [the] incompetent" local authority behind the scheme, a councillor has said.

Oxfordshire County Council introduced its new £5 congestion charge for cars passing through certain points on six city centre streets last week.

City councillor Linda Smith said she first raised the issue that the charge locations meant the railway station could not be accessed to the county council in June.

Andrew Gant, the man behind the scheme, said the "vast majority" of people accessing the station "already do so by modes other than the private car".

The ongoing closure of the Botley Road means that Oxford's main railway station can only be accessed via Hythe Bridge Street Thames Street - both of which have congestion charge points on them.

Ms Smith, who is a Labour city councillor, said she was "astonished" by the county council's response after raising the issue of lack of access to the station.

She said she was told by a council officer that drivers would be able to drop passengers off "very close" to the station without incurring a charge.

"It's typical of incompetent Oxfordshire County Council to be severing transport connections and making life harder for people going about their daily business," she said.

Mr Gant disagreed, saying that alternative options for people to access the station had been "significantly enhanced" as a direct result of the new charge.

He said people driving into the city to "park all day and catch a train has negative consequences for the rest of the city".

"We want commuters and others to have good quality alternatives."

The charge's permit scheme, which offers certain motorists to pass through points without facing the fee, meant many could still access the station without facing the fee, Mr Gant added.