Oxfordshire County Council Ends Free Park and Ride Tickets

The Oxfordshire County Council will terminate its free park and ride bus ticket scheme on August 15. Under the current system, users receive a free group day pass upon paying for parking, a concession that has been widely used to reduce city center traffic. This will be replaced by a combined ticket costing £3, which provides 16 hours of parking and return bus travel for up to five people.

The policy change impacts several key sites, including Pear Tree, Oxford Parkway, Thornhill, Redbridge, and Seacourt. The council previously financed the free ticket concession using approximately £5.2 million in revenue generated from congestion charge pay passes and fines. This funding model is being shifted as the council seeks a more sustainable financial approach to transport management.

Officials are currently evaluating the use of congestion charge funds to provide targeted discounted passes for hospital workers and teachers. However, a council report determined that broader city-wide or county-wide fare reductions are not financially feasible due to the high projected costs associated with such a program. To facilitate the transition to the new pricing structure, the necessary signage updates were approved on July 8.