Petrol and diesel cars to be slapped with new £600 fee in these UK streets

Polluting clouds of exhaust fumes rise in the air Denver Colorado

Petrol and diesel cars could be slapped with hefty fees due to a new rule (Image: Getty)

Owners of petrol and diesel vehicles will be forced to pay out hundreds of pounds to drive on certain streets across the UK under major new plans. Oxford County Council wants to expand its Zero Emissions Zone (ZEZ) with a wider area of the city centre set to be affected.

A Zero Emissions Zone means only pure electric models emitting no air pollution are allowed to use the streets at certain times in a blow to combustion owners. A small pilot ZEZ affecting nine routes was first launched back in February 2022 but the scheme could now be massively expanded. An extended second phase would see routes near the train line to Great Mill Pond Mead added to the ZEZ.

oxford city council map

Oxford City Council wants to extend the ZEZ boundaries (Image: Oxford City Council)

According to experts at Motorway, the new boundaries would extend from Jericho to Lady Margaret Hall.

The new extension would also run from St Ebbe’s by the River to the Cherwell river along the city’s south border.

A public consultation over the new scheme is set to run in 2025 with a final Cabinet decision over the plans scheduled for 2026.

Oxford City Council said: “All petrol and diesel vehicles, including hybrids, will incur a daily charge if they are driven in the zone between 7am and 7pm unless they have a 100 per cent discount or exemption.

Young businesswoman charging her electric car at EV charging station

Only electric cars will be able to avoid fees (Image: Getty)

“We are now working on proposals for expanding the ZEZ to a wider area in Oxford city centre. The expansion of the ZEZ will be subject to further assessments, modelling, engagement and formal consultation.”

Currently, charges for Oxford’s ZEZ scheme vary depending on the type of vehicle motorists run.

However, fees range everywhere from just £2 to £10 per trip, with increases planned for later this year.

From August 2025, fees will double which will see some road users paying up to £2 to use the roads.

Ultra-low emission vehicles emitting under 75g/km CO2 will pay £2 to use the streets, while low emission models that meet Euro 4 standards will be charged £4.

However, all other vehicles, including the most polluting models on the roads, will pay the highest £20 charge.

This will amount to £140 per week or up to £600 over the course of a typical 30-day month.