Oxford traffic filters: Businesses
Find out how the filters will work and what this means to your employees.
Exemptions
The following vehicles will be automatically exempt from traffic filters:
- Buses
- Coaches
- Minibuses
- Vans
- Light commercial vehicles
- Heavy goods vehicles
- Mopeds
- Motorbikes
- Emergency services
Important notes on all permits
- A permit is only required to drive a car through the traffic filters during their hours of operation. No permit is needed to drive any other type of vehicle through the filters.
- Traffic filter permits can only be used for the six new trial traffic filters being introduced in autumn 2024. The permits can’t be used for existing bus gates, low traffic neighbourhoods or any other restrictions.
- All permits are free of charge and will be valid for 12 months unless stated otherwise.
- Only one of each type of permit will be issued per person or business. Some permit types allow you to link more than one car to the permit. You can have more than one type of permit type at the same time (for example, you might be a resident in the Oxford Permit Area and also an unpaid carer).
- To apply for some types of permit you’ll need to be the registered keeper of the car which means you’ll need to be the person named on the car’s V5C (logbook) issued by DVLA. If you have a company car or your car is on a long-term lease, hire purchase or other finance arrangement and you are not named on the V5C, you’ll need to provide evidence that the car is kept exclusively for your use.
- For other types of permit, the car will just need to be registered at your home address. This means the address of the registered keeper shown on the V5C will need to be the same as your home address (but again, we can accept applications for company/leased/hire purchased cars, as long as you provide the required evidence).
- The details of the permits offered may still change as we develop the permit system and speak to residents, businesses and organisations.
| Permit type | Who can apply | Details |
|---|---|---|
|
Community health or care worker
|
Professional or voluntary health or care workers working for a qualifying social care or health provider, whose role regularly requires them to provide health or care services at multiple locations in the Oxford permit area on the same day.
|
One car per permit, which must be registered at your home address. For business purposes, not commuting. Your employer will need to confirm that your role requires you to provide health or care services at multiple locations in the Oxford permit area on the same day on at least one day per month. Your employer must be a registered healthcare provider providing services in Oxfordshire or relevant provider of social care services. |
| Emergency or health service car | Qualifying emergency or health service provider | The car must be registered to the qualifying provider |
| Firefighter | Firefighters regularly working from a fire station in the Oxford permit area |
For emergency response and business uses only, not commuting (unless this is in response to an emergency). The car must be registered at the home address of the applicant. |
| Hackney carriage or private hire vehicle | Hackney carriage or private hire driver | The car must be registered to either the driver or the operator. |
| Car club car | Operator of a car club with CoMoUK accreditation | The cars must be registered to the car club. |
| Business car used as goods vehicle | A business regularly operating in the Oxford permit area |
For collecting, delivering or carrying goods or for carrying tools or equipment needed to carry out work for the business in question. In each case for operational business purposes only and not commuting. The cars must be registered to the business. |
| Personal car used as goods vehicle | Employee of a business regularly operating in Oxford permit area |
For collecting, delivering or carrying goods or for carrying tools or equipment needed to carry out work for the business in question. In each case for operational business purposes only and not commuting. The car must be registered at the home address of the applicant. |
| Approved driving instructor | A Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) approved instructor |
For travelling to students and during lessons or tests only. The car must be registered at the home address of the applicant, or to a driving school. |
| Hearse or funeral car | Funeral care business |
Hearse means a car with special equipment for the transport of deceased people registered to and operated by a funeral care business. Funeral car means a car registered to and operated by a funeral care business being used for transporting mourners to and from funeral venues. |
How to apply
You'll soon be able to create an account for online permit applications and management. Options to apply via phone and email will also be available. More details will be shared this summer as we finalise the permit system.