Are congestion charge signs causing confusion?
BBCA highways boss says he does not know how money has been brought in by unnecessary payments, after a congestion charge scheme generated £1.3m more than expected.
Speaking on BBC Radio Oxford, Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire's cabinet member for transport, was challenged over a series of signs warning about the Oxford congestion scheme but positioned more than a mile from the nearest charge point.
Asked if the notices could be misleading and result in more income for the council, Gant described them as "accurate and legal" and signed off by Department for Transport (DfT).
Oxfordshire County Council has confirmed the signs are temporary and are the responsibility of the local authority.
The signs are positioned at various points around Oxford on the approach to the ring road, including on the A40 before the Headington roundabout and after the Pear Tree Park and Ride.
Described as "courtesy signage" by the council, they are designed to warn drivers to "look out for further authorised signage on roads into the city".
The signs read "from 29 Oct 2025, Oxford Congestion Charge" alongside a white C in a red circle.
Gant has since described the signs are "discretionary" and said "there is no suggestion, from our customer contact experience, that this is being broadly misinterpreted".
A spokesperson for the authority said income from daily charge payments was lower than first expected but confirmed there was no way to "verify in bulk" how many people made a payment by mistake.
The council website doesn't give motorists the opportunity to check their number plate against those spotted by the system and accepts payments when they are not needed.
Gant said the actual signs on the approach to a charging point are "recognisable" and displayed on council's payment system, along with the precise locations, "to help people establish whether they have or will pass one".
The council has confirmed there are no plans to remove the notices but they will be replaced by similar signs, warning of the introduction of the traffic filters, later in the year.
