OXFORD ZERO EMISSION ZONE

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City Charges screen in the Caura app showing the Oxford ZEZ charge and road sign
Successfully Paying for Oxford ZEZ on Caura

Caura is the easiest way to pay the Oxford Zero Emission Zone charge

Driven through Oxford’s new ZEZ? Caura is the quickest way to get that charge paid.

Download our app, enter your number plate, and pay the charge in seconds. No hidden fees, no extra steps, just the quickest and easiest way to pay the Oxford Zero Emission Zone charge.

What is the Oxford Zero Emission Zone?

It’s Britain’s first emission control zone that charges every vehicle besides those that are fully electric. Even hybrid. 

It launched in February 2022 and, for now, applies to just nine streets in the very heart of Oxford. Its aim is to keep the historic centre free of traffic and pollution, by encouraging walking, cycling, and park & ride schemes. Drivers who continue using the zone will pay up to £10 per day, depending on their vehicle.

Charges will apply to:

  • Ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEV), which emit less than 75 g/km CO2
  • Low emission vehicles (LEV), which meet the Euro 4/IV petrol or Euro 6/VI diesel standards
  • And all other vehicles with greater emissions

The Oxford ZEZ is a pilot scheme. If it's successful, it will be extended to cover an area 10x larger than the current zone – which will include most of the city centre. Fees are also going to go up, doubling in August 2025. 

Oxford Zero Emission Zone

What you need to know

The OZEZ currently applies to just nine of Oxford’s most central streets, but it's set to expand if the initial pilot is successful.

Oxford ZEZ operating times

Charges for the Oxford Zero Emission Zone apply from 7am to 7pm, every day, all year.

How much is the Oxford ZEZ charge?

In Caura, you can pay for yesterday's, today's or tomorrow's travel.

Different vehicle categories pay different amounts:

  • Zero emission vehicles will not need to pay the charge
  • Ultra-low emission vehicles will pay £2 per day
  • Low emission vehicles will pay £4 per day
  • All other vehicles will pay £10 per day

From August 2025, these charges will double in price.

Fines for the Oxford ZEZ

You'll need to remember to pay the charge, you won't receive a reminder. If you don’t sort it on time, then you’ll receive a penalty charge notice (PCN) for £60. You’ll have 28 days to pay, the PCN will be reduced to £30 if you pay within 14 days.

Oxford ZEZ discounts and exemptions

The most obvious exemption is zero emission vehicles. If you’re driving one of these, you’re home free. Literally. 

There’s no need to apply for exemption. The number plate (ANPR) cameras will scan your vehicle, and the system will recognise you as exempt. The same applies for other Oxford ZEZ exemption categories:

  • Taxis (Hackney carriages, licensed by Oxford City Council)
  • Buses (registered locally)
  • Emergency service vehicles
  • Historic vehicles
  • Military vehicles
  • Agricultural vehicles (like tractors, snowploughs, gritters etc.)
  • Special vehicles (like cranes, road rollers, forklift trucks etc.)
  • Hearses
  • Certain recovery vehicles

There are also discounts available for some vehicles and drivers. These do need to be applied for, and Oxford City Council recommend that you do this at least 10 days before you use the zone, allowing time for the application to be processed:

  • Some low emission hybrid private hire vehicles
  • Residents or businesses inside the Oxford ZEZ
  • Blue Badge holders
  • Disabled tax vehicles
  • Healthcare workers
  • Community transport vehicles
  • Students in financial hardship who are moving in/out of the Oxford ZEZ

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Oxford Zero Emission Zone

How much of Oxford does the ZEZ cover?

The Oxford ZEZ currently applies to just nine of Oxford’s most central streets. These are:

  • Bonn Square
  • Queen Street
  • Cornmarket Street
  • New Inn Hall Street
  • Shoe Lane
  • Ship Street
  • St. Michael's Street
  • Market Street (from the Cornmarket junction, east for 40 metres)
  • New Road (between Bonn Square and its junction with Castle Street.)
Pay for the Oxford Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) quickly on Caura

How do I know if I'm about to drive into the Oxford ZEZ?

The Oxford ZEZ is well sign-posted and you should be able to easily identify if you’re heading into it. The map shown above highlights the affected streets, and the road signs that mark the boundary of the zone are easily recognisable.

The zone is currently a pilot, and if successful it will be expanded to cover a much larger area.

Pay the Oxford Zero Emission Zone charge with Caura

Caura is the easiest way to pay the Oxford ZEZ charge (or any other car-related charges, for that matter).

Download the app and tap ‘City Charges’ to find the Oxford ZEZ. Select the day, then pay in a second via Apple or Google Pay (or via credit card).

Receipts are automatically stored in the app, so you can always check what you've paid for.

One app for everything car

If you think that all sounds easy and simple, you’ll be pleased to hear that Caura can help simplify all your car admin.

Tax, insurance, MOT, tolls, congestion charges. The lot. All in one app.

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Welcome to everything car. In one place.

FAQ

Questions?

Find answers to common questions here. If you can't find what you're looking for then email us on support@caura.com and we'll get back to you.

My account
Do I have to sign up to access Caura?

Yes. To enjoy the benefits of Caura, like timely reminders for tax and insurance, and ultrafast city charge and toll payments, you’ll need to create an account. This is so we can let you know about important expiry dates and booking details.

Can I change the email address I use for Caura?

You can’t currently change your email address on Caura (but we are working on it). As a workaround, you can log out of your current account and sign up with a new email address. We won’t be able to transfer the history over.

What happens if I forget my account credentials?

Easily done. Just tap ‘Forgot Password’ on the Log In screen - we’ll send you a password reset link via your registered email address. If you used your Google or Apple profile details (instead of an email address) to create your account, you’ll need to continue to use this sign-in method.

My account has been suspended, why?

Your account may be suspended as a precaution if we see evidence of fraud or a violation of our terms of service. Please email support@caura.com or send us a message in-app, and we can investigate this with you.

How do I delete my account?

Please email support@caura.com or send us a message in-app, and we can take care of that for you. Please feel free to let us know why you want to leave, as we’re always working to improve Caura for drivers like you.

Managing vehicles
How do I add or remove vehicles from my account?

To add a vehicle, simply swipe to the left on your current vehicle or tap the ‘+’ icon on the Home screen. To remove a vehicle, tap and hold on the vehicle image.

My vehicle cannot be found when I add my number plate, why not? 

All vehicles registered with the DVLA should show on Caura. Please make sure you are entering a valid number plate recognised by the DVLA. If the problem persists please email support@caura.com. 

Why can’t I see my updated vehicle details (e.g. tax, MOT) on Caura?

If you have made the update on Caura (e.g. paid for tax on Caura), it should update automatically within a few days. If it doesn't, you can pull down the image of your vehicle from the Home screen, which will refresh the app.

Managing payment methods
How do I add or remove a payment method?

You can add, remove and set your default payment method via the Payment Methods screen, accessed via the Account tab. To remove a payment method, swipe it to the left. To set a payment method as the default option, swipe it to the right.  

What if I need to change my AutoPay payment method?

Go to your AutoPay account in-app (by going to the City Charges screen). From your AutoPay account, tap the current payment method selected. You can then choose to change your payment method tied to your AutoPay, either select an existing payment method or add a new card to Caura. 

City Charges
What is a Clean Air Zone charge?

Clean Air Zones are coming soon to many UK cities, helping our air stay fresh for future generations. All vehicles are allowed in CAZ zones – but if their emissions are above a certain level, they’ll have to pay to pass through. 

You can learn more about different Clean Air Zones and the charges in place here.

Which cities have Clean Air Zones? 

You can find details of all active and planned Clean Air Zones here.

What Clean Air Zones can I pay for on Caura?

Currently, you can pay for Birmingham’s Class D Clean Air Zone charge, as well as the London Ultra Low Emission Zone charge and the Oxford Zero Emission Zone charge, in two-taps on Caura.

We’re working hard to bring more Clean Air Zones to Caura very soon. We’ll notify users via email or in-app notification when new zones launch, as well as communicate this on social media. In the meantime, if there is a charge payment you really want to see on Caura, let us know by emailing support@caura.com (it may just be what we focus on next!). 

What do the different types of Clean Air Zones mean? 

There are four types (class) of Clean Air Zone. The class of Clean Air Zone dictates which vehicles have to pay for entering the zone. 

For each of the class types, the following non-compliant vehicle types have to pay: 

  • Class A: buses, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles 
  • Class B: buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles and heavy goods vehicles
  • Class C: buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans and minibuses
  • Class D: buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, vans, minibuses and cars, and the local authority has the option to include motorcycles too 
How do I know if I have to pay the Clean Air Zone? 

Please refer to the class type of the Clean Air Zone to understand which vehicle types have to pay. 

You will also be able to see exactly what you have to pay for a given Clean Air Zone, based on your vehicle’s type and emissions. 

The Clean Air Zones use ANPR cameras to automatically detect your vehicle when you drive into the charging zone. Look out for signs that clearly indicate the boundary of the zone.

If you try to pay for a charge that you're exempt from then Caura will not process the transaction, and you will not be charged.

What days can I pay the Clean Air Zone charges for on Caura?

Currently, you can pay for either today, tomorrow or yesterday in-app on Caura. Make sure you pay for the right date for any trips you make, as we’re unable to offer a refund for any payments made for the wrong day by mistake.

Does Caura charge an additional fee?

Caura charges no additional fee to pay for any Clean Air Zone, or to make any other transaction via the app. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider. 

What happens if I pay for the wrong day? 

If you’ve paid for the wrong day, unfortunately we aren’t able to offer a refund. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider. We’re unable to recover funds so we aren’t able to offer a refund. If you paid for a charge unnecessarily then you can request a refund from the zone operator, referencing the transaction ID on your payment receipt in the Caura app.

Where can I view my payment receipts in Caura?

You can view any payments you’ve made by going to the History tab in Caura. Tap on any payment in the list to view more detail. From there, you can even export a receipt to your email.

Oxford Zero Emission Zone
What is the Oxford Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ)?

The Oxford ZEZ covers a small area of Oxford, drivers of most vehicles will need to pay a charge to drive into the zone.  Read more about the charge here.

Where is the Oxford ZEZ?

It currently covers nine streets in Oxford city centre. It covers the whole of:

  • Bonn Square
  • Queen Street
  • Cornmarket Street
  • New Inn Hall Street
  • Shoe Lane
  • Ship Street
  • St Michael’s Street

It also covers sections of Market Street (from the Cornmarket junction, east for 40 metres) and New Road (between Bonn Square and its junction with Castle Street). You can see a map of the Oxford ZEZ here.

What times does the Oxford ZEZ apply?

Charges apply 7am-7pm every day, all year. 

How much is the Oxford ZEZ charge?

Charges vary depending on your vehicle. 

Zero emission vehicles will not need to pay to use the Oxford ZEZ. Ultra-low emission vehicles will pay £2 per day. Low emission vehicles will pay £4 per day. All other vehicles will pay £10 per day. From August 2025, these charges will double in price.

How do I pay for the Oxford ZEZ charge?

Download Caura and find Oxford ZEZ under City Charges, where you can pay for today, yesterday or tomorrow. You can pay up to six days before or after on the Oxford ZEZ website.  

Are there any discounts or exemptions?

If you’re driving something fully electric, the number plate cameras will recognise your vehicle and issue no charges. The same applies for the rest of OZEZ’s exempt vehicles:

  • Taxis (Hackney carriages, licensed by Oxford City Council)
  • Buses (registered locally)
  • Emergency service vehicles
  • Historic vehicles
  • Military vehicles
  • Agricultural vehicles (like tractors, snowploughs, gritters etc.)
  • Special vehicles (like cranes, road rollers, forklift trucks etc.)
  • Hearses
  • Certain recovery vehicles

There are discounts available for some vehicles and drivers people. These need to be applied for and Oxford City Council recommend that you do this at least 10 days before you use the zone, allowing time for the application to be processed:

  • Some low emission hybrid private hire vehicles
  • Residents or businesses inside the Oxford ZEZ
  • Blue Badge holders
  • Disabled tax vehicles
  • Healthcare workers
  • Community transport vehicles
  • Students in financial hardship who are moving in/out of the Oxford ZEZ
Will I get fined if I don’t pay the Oxford ZEZ charge?

Yes. You’ll be issued with a Penalty Charge Notice for £60, payable within paid in 28 days. This can be reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days. 

Will the Oxford ZEZ be extended?

The current Oxford ZEZ is a pilot. If it gets extended, it will cover an area 10x larger (most of the centre of Oxford) and fees will double in August 2025. 

Is the Oxford ZEZ live?

Yes, the initial pilot has been live since February 2022.

Does Caura charge an additional fee?

Caura charges no additional fee to pay for Oxford ZEZ, or to make any other transaction via the app. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider. 

What happens if I pay for the wrong day?

If you’ve paid for the wrong day, unfortunately we aren’t able to offer a refund. We don’t take any of the money for your payment and once it’s made it goes straight to the end provider (e.g. TfL). We’re unable to recover funds so we aren’t able to offer a refund. 

Where can I view my payment receipts in Caura?

You can view any payments you’ve made by going to the History tab in Caura. Tap on any payment in the list to view more detail. From there, you can even export a receipt to your email.

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