Bus services are being restored to many Oxfordshire communities who have been without regular public transport since 2016.
Following Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet’s decision to allocate £1.2 million to improve rural public and community transport, further new services will be launched this month to connect more villages back to the bus network, market towns and Oxford.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “This is more good news for bus users on top of improved services announced last month – a £1 single fare cap for Sundays in December; the imminent arrival of a new fleet of electric buses for Oxford; and the extension of our park and ride joint parking and ticketing deal.
“Many people rely on buses to get around the county, and beyond, and we’re committed to working with providers to make it as easy and reliable for them to do so.”
From Monday 6 November, the following services will begin:
- 122/123: Watlington to Reading via Nettlebed, Stoke Row, Checkendon, Rotherfield Peppard and Kidmore End. This will run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, through Red Rose Travel
- 126/127: Watlington to Thame via Lewknor, Postcombe, Tetsworth, The Miltons, Chalgrove, The Haseleys and Moreton. This will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Red Rose Travel.
From Monday 27 November, these services will be in operation:
- 68: Longcot, Fernham, Uffington, Kingston Lisle, Westcot, Sparsholt, Childrey and the Letcombes to Wantage and Faringdon. This will run from Monday to Saturday through Pulhams Coaches.
- 108: Forest Hill, Stanton St John, Beckley, Horton-cum-Studley, Blackthorn and Piddington to Oxford and Bicester. This will run from Monday to Saturday and is being operated by Oxford Bus Company.
Timetables will be available shortly from Traveline and individual operator websites.
Revisions to the Villager Community Bus V26 service to link Ramsden with Witney, and providing new journeys on Thursdays, began in early October. Further new services linking several villages north of Bicester and north of Banbury are anticipated to begin in February 2024.
These new services are in addition to those funded by the government through the council’s successful Bus Service Improvement Plan, including restoration of a service between Carterton and Swindon, new express peak buses from Carterton and Banbury to Oxford and improvements to other strategic inter-urban routes throughout the county.
