Question 1

Can I drive into central Oxford?

Accepted Answer

Only if you have a permit or a day pass. The £5 congestion charge ended on 28 September 2026 and was replaced by a trial of traffic filters at the same six points: cars without a permit can no longer pay to pass, and the penalty is £70 (£35 if paid within 21 days). For the first six months a first offence gets a warning notice instead. Oxford residents can apply for 100 day passes a year, other Oxfordshire residents for 25, and existing congestion-charge permits carry over. Buses, bikes and taxis are exempt.

Marston Ferry Road and Hollow Way operate 7–9am and 3–6pm, Monday to Saturday; the other four run 7am–7pm every day. Details are on oxfordshire.gov.uk under "Oxford traffic filters".

Question 2

Has Botley Road reopened?

Accepted Answer

It reopened to traffic on 20 September 2026. The road had been closed at the railway bridge since April 2023 for Network Rail's station works — originally a six-month job. Its reopening was the trigger for the congestion charge ending and the traffic filter trial starting on 28 September.

Question 3

What are the traffic filters everyone argues about?

Accepted Answer

A county council trial, started on 28 September 2026, that restricts private car through-traffic at six camera-enforced points in the city — buses, bikes, taxis and other exempt vehicles continue through. It runs under an experimental order lasting up to 18 months, with a six-month public feedback period. Which streets, who gets permits, and the LTNs that stay either way are all on oxfordshire.gov.uk under "Oxford traffic filters".

Question 4

Which council do I call — city or county?

Accepted Answer

Oxford has two. A rough rule: things at your house are city, things on the road are county.

Oxford City Council (oxford.gov.uk): bins and recycling, council tax, housing, planning applications.

Oxfordshire County Council (oxfordshire.gov.uk): potholes and highways, the congestion charge and traffic schemes, school admissions, social care, and the Redbridge tip.

Question 5

How do I find my bin day?

Accepted Answer

Collection days vary street by street — even neighbouring streets differ — so use the address lookup at oxford.gov.uk/recycling-waste/bin-collection-dates, which can also email you reminders. Blue bin is recycling, green is general rubbish; bins out by 6am on the day, no earlier than 6pm the night before. Garden waste is a paid sign-up service.

Question 6

How does the tip work now?

Accepted Answer

Redbridge household waste recycling centre (Old Abingdon Road, OX1 4XG) requires a booked slot — booking became mandatory on 14 January 2026. Slots open two weeks ahead and can be booked up to 30 minutes before you arrive, free for Oxfordshire residents (£15 per visit from outside the county). Book via oxfordshire.gov.uk.

One to watch: the county has said Redbridge will close for around three months during 2026 for essential works. Exact dates hadn't been published when we last checked (late August 2026).

Question 7

Is park-and-ride cheaper than parking in town?

Accepted Answer

Usually. Since 17 August 2026 a £3 combined ticket covers 16 hours' parking at any of the five sites and a return bus for up to five people travelling together; the earlier £2.50 free-bus offer has ended. The sites are Pear Tree, Seacourt, Redbridge, Thornhill and Oxford Parkway, and one season ticket covers all of them.

If you do drive in: Westgate's car park adds a £6 flat evening surcharge after 5pm and charges a full hour if you overrun your stay, which is what catches people out. Read the signs before you tap in.

Question 8

How do I find an NHS dentist?

Accepted Answer

Honestly: with difficulty, like most of the country. Healthwatch Oxfordshire has documented residents trying for years, practices deregistering NHS adults, and 111 referrals that lead nowhere.

What actually works: check nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-dentist repeatedly (availability churns), call 111 for urgent dental problems — there are urgent slots that don't require being registered anywhere — and tell Healthwatch Oxfordshire (01865 520520) when you can't find care, because their reports are how the gap stays visible.

Question 9

Can I swim at Port Meadow?

Accepted Answer

It is a designated bathing water — the Wolvercote Mill Stream site — but it has been rated Poor in recent assessments because of upstream sewage discharges, and a Poor rating comes with official advice against bathing. Plenty of people still swim there; if you do, check the Environment Agency's bathing water page for the current rating and Thames Water's live discharge map first, and skip it after heavy rain.

Question 10

How do I stop my bike being stolen?

Accepted Answer

Treat it as when-not-if: Oxford has one of the worst bike theft rates in the UK, and almost 90% of reported thefts close with no suspect found. The hotspots are the obvious racks — Gloucester Green and the city centre.

What helps: two locks of different types (D-lock plus chain or cable), always through the frame and a wheel, locked to something solid even for five minutes. Register the frame number free at bikeregister.com — it is how recovered bikes get home. Report thefts to Thames Valley Police online or on 101; it feels futile but the numbers drive patrols.

Question 11

How much is council tax?

Accepted Answer

For 2026/27, including all precepts (city, county, parish and police): Band A £1,783.68 up to Band H £5,351.08, with Band D at £2,675.54. Billing is handled by Oxford City Council — oxford.gov.uk has bands by address, discounts and payment plans. Full-time students are exempt; households that are all students pay nothing, and a single non-student in a student house gets a 25% discount.

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