Latest news on bus services 10 Oct 2024 Points raised at the October Witney Bus Users Meeting

On 3 October, the first Bus Users Meeting was held in Witney. This was organised by the Witney Travel Advisory Committee and supported by Witney Town Council, with plans to make it a regular event.

The meeting was open to members of the public and attended by representatives of Pulham’s, Stagecoach and West Oxfordshire Community Transport. The public transport team leader from Oxfordshire County Council was also present.

Considering the proximity to Eynsham, many topics discussed at the Witney-based meeting were relevant to our community and services. Some points of note are:

• There are plans for future improvements to bus services in West Oxfordshire but, until the Botley Road reopens, bus services will not see major revisions.
• The Oxford Tube service from Witney and Eynsham was a trial, although there are hopes that the service will increase to include off peak and weekend services subject to demand.
• The H2 service to the John Radcliffe will be operated by Pulham’s from February 2024, when the frequency of the service will double to every 30 minutes. Extra time will be built into the timetable to allow for delays at peak times.
• Buses being held up in Acre End Street was mentioned as a cause of the lengthening route times of the S1. No solution was forthcoming as Spareacre Lane is also congested.
• 'Real time' information supplied at bus stops can be inaccurate and some services, including those operated by First and Last Mile (FLM), are not yet included. The County Council is working towards including FLM services and upgrading the information provided.
• Many bus stops are inaccessible for disabled users due to the lack of a dropped kerb; progress is normally dependent on section 106 contributions from local developments.
• Buses from Carterton and Witney are taking longer than previous due to congestion caused by the closure of the Botley Road. This will be alleviated when the road re-opens and the new traffic filters are in place. (There is not yet a date for this to happen.)
• Stagecoach has been told that Eynsham Park and Ride may open in January 2026, but this remains uncertain.

Thank you to David Miles from First and Last Mile (First & Last Mile | Local & Flexible Community Transport (firstandlastmile.org.uk)) bus service for sharing these points from the meeting with us.