Council spent £73,000 on 'confusing' permit platform

Oxford's new £5 daily charge is due to begin on 29 October

A local authority has spent £73, 000 on an online permit system that is now also being used for a controversial congestion charge scheme, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

Oxfordshire County Council decided to switch from paper 'scratch card' visitor permits to a digital system in November 2024 and now that system is being used for applications for congestion charge permits.

The cost of the contract for the digital platform was revealed in a Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Opposition councillors criticised the cost of an online system which many were finding difficult to use. The council said a robust digital infrastructure was needed.

Conservative councillor Liam Walker, leader of the Oxfordshire Alliance opposition group, said the cost was "staggering".

He said so many residents found the system "confusing and unreliable".

"I've heard from countless people who've struggled with this new system, particularly older residents who found the physical permits far simpler and more straightforward to use."

"We need a system that's accessible to everyone - not one that leaves residents locked out online and fed up offline."

Labour councillor Susanna Pressel noted that the figure did not include staffing costs.

She also questioned why the "whole process has been so fraught for many members of the public".

The county council said the decision to invest in the digital permit system was "driven by several factors".

It said schemes, such as Oxford's Zero Emission Zone, could not be managed "effectively without a robust digital infrastructure".

The transition also "streamlines the process and provides an efficient means of administering permits", the council said.

"In the long run, this will lead to significant synergies and efficiencies between the various permits and schemes we have in place."

The new £5 congestion charge will be introduced on six streets in Oxford city centre on 29 October, with more than 18,500 people applying for permits so far.