A deal which offers discounted parking and bus travel at Oxford’s park and rides has been further extended to April 2024.
Last October, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach launched a new combined ticket for Oxford’s park and rides which covers both parking and return bus travel to the city centre.
To coincide with the launch of the new combined ticket, the councils have been offering the ticket at a reduced price of £4 for a car with only one adult, or £5 for a car and two adults. With both options, the car can be parked for up to 16 hours, and up to three children under 16 can travel for free. Previously tickets only lasted for 11 hours, which made it difficult for people working long shifts to use them.
The deal represents a saving of 80p per person for an individual ticket, and £2.60 for two people travelling together. Previously, users had to pay separately for both parking and bus travel. A single traveller previously paid £4.80 for 11 hours parking and return bus ticket, and two travellers with one car previously paid £7.60.
Oxford has five park and ride car parks around the edge of the city, three are run by the city council and two by the county council.
Now, Oxford City Council’s cabinet has approved a decision to extend the trial price for a further six months until April 2024. Oxfordshire County Council had already agreed that the current arrangement could remain in place for the rest of the 2023/24 financial year.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “This deal has proved to be extremely popular and we are delighted that it is being extended again. It will continue to make it cheaper and more convenient for many people to use the park and ride services instead of driving all the way into Oxford city centre. More people on the buses means fewer cars on the road, less congestion and less pollution.”
Both councils will make decisions as part of their annual budget-setting processes on the pricing of the combined ticket from April 2024, taking into consideration national and local trends within the industry.
The overall combined parking and bus ticket option is a permanent feature of the park and rides and it is only the price that is up for review.
About the combined ticket
The combined parking and bus ticket is in place at all park and ride sites in and around Oxford:
- Oxford Parkway Park and Ride
- Pear Tree Park and Ride
- Redbridge Park and Ride
- Seacourt Park and Ride
- Thornhill Park and Ride
Drivers are encouraged to purchase a combined ticket through the RingGo parking app, or at one of the onsite ticket machines.
RingGo users can buy a combined virtual ticket through the app. Users are encouraged to download the RingGo app in advance of their arrival.
The trial does not change the prices of parking only, annual, quarterly, or 28-day permit holders. Free parking remains for blue badge holders.
Drivers using the Hozah parking app who would like to use the combined ticket offer will need to pause their membership and use either RingGo or the onsite ticket machines.
Aside from these changes, all other car parking charges at these sites remain the same.
Councillor Louise Upton, Cabinet Member for Planning and Healthier Communities at Oxford City Council, said: “Park and rides have been noticeably busier since we introduced the combined parking-and-bus tickets. Thousands of people have benefited from a more convenient and affordable way to arrive sustainably in Oxford.
“Whether you are a commuter, a visitor, a shopper or visiting friends and family, leaving the car at the park and ride so that you don’t have to search for a parking space in our congested city centre is a great idea. We have decided to keep our introductory low price for a while longer and will continue to work with the county council and both bus operators on the appropriate pricing level from April 2024 onwards.”
Luke Marion, Managing Director for Oxford Bus Company, said: “The combined parking and bus ticket has been a great example of partnership working between the councils and bus operators, and has helped our park and ride system in Oxford grow back much more quickly from the pandemic than similar schemes in other UK cities.
“We know that our customers really value the simplicity and convenience of the combined ticket, so it was an easy decision to give our support for a further six-month extension of the reduced pricing. We will work with both councils to review the pricing in April.”
Karen Coventry, Commercial and Marketing Director for Stagecoach West, said: “Customers like simple to understand and good value ticket offers and the £4/ £5 combined park and ride tickets being made available across all of the park and ride sites around the city have certainly helped to encourage more people on to the bus, reducing the reliance on car usage into the city centre. It’s good news that we now have a clear and consistent message for the next six months.”
