NHS and teachers could benefit from congestion cash

Proposals on how to spend money from Oxford's congestion charge, including new travel benefits for NHS and school staff in the city, have been put forward.

Oxfordshire County Council has so far used much of the funding raised to cover the costs of free park and ride bus travel - which began alongside the new charge in October.

Whilst proposing the continuation of that scheme until the end of the year, the council has also put forward multiple different suggestions on how to spend the £4.2m pot.

Among them are nine months worth of free weekday park and ride parking or bus travel for NHS and school staff working in Oxford from 1 June.

Andrew Gant, the council's transport chief, said: "I'm very pleased that we're now able to discuss how we invest further in giving people more choice and convenience when it comes to getting to and around Oxford."

He added that the temporary charge was "giving residents and visitors to the city faster journeys, cleaner air, reduced traffic and safer streets".

Among the other suggestions on how to spend the money is a new, 12 month, hospital express park and ride services that would begin in October.

Extra spending on active travel infrastructure, including pedestrian crossings and secure cycle parking, is also being considered.

The offer of free park and ride bus travel is currently set to end at the end of May, with the council's cabinet voting on whether to continue to fund it - or spend the money elsewhere - on 21 April.

Oxfordshire County Council introduced the temporary £5 daily congestion charge on six roads in Oxford in October.

It has previously said the charge is a temporary measure to tackle congestion in the city until traffic filters it had planned can be installed when the ongoing works on Botley Road are completed.

"It's my hope that some lasting benefits from the temporary congestion charge will also support the transition to the traffic filters trial after Botley Road reopens," Gant said.