DPD was present at the launch with local driver Mohammed Bilal Khan, and his zero-emission Maxus e DELIVER 9 electric van, one of over 40 EVs based at the firm's Bicester depot, which serves the city. In total, DPD now has over 1,700 EVs on the road in the UK.
The ZEZ pilot will allow Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council to gain useful insights before introducing a larger ZEZ covering most of Oxford city centre next year (2023), subject to further public consultation.
The pilot will work in a similar way to the London Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone. Signs will be installed around the perimeter of the zone and on routes leading to it to notify drivers of the ZEZ pilot. Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras will be used to enforce the zone.
The zone will operate from 7am - 7pm, all year around. All petrol and diesel vehicles, including hybrids, will incur a daily charge - from £2 to £10 per day depending on the emission levels of the vehicle - unless eligible for a discount or exemption. However, zero-emission vehicles, such as electric cars and vans, can enter the pilot area free of charge.
"We welcome Oxford's Zero Emission Zone and have been preparing for it for over a year,” said Tim Jones, director of marketing, communications & sustainability, DPDgroup UK. In July 2021 it opened a new depot at Bicester, and has been delivering more than 15,000 parcels since July.