Oxford, High Wycombe & surrounding areas
from THE OXFORD BUS PAGE

Your reports are welcome at malcolmhc@aol.com

updated Sunday 1st July 2001
the next update will be on Sunday 8th July 2001

   Issue nr. 153  

Please note that any comments made in this news page are those of the Editors' and in no way constitute 
any official points of view from the bus companies mentioned,  or indeed any other official body. 
As a news page we reserve the right to make valid comments as seen from an editorial point of view.

Problems with the pictures ! - sometimes it seems that the pictures do not load.
I have found a solution which does work normally - 
RIGHT CLICK ON THE PICTURE AND THEN CLICK ON "SHOW PICTURE"
Good luck !

Welcome to issue 153, with news from one local Oxford operator of increased bus usage in the county and especially in Oxford.

Local Oxford operator reports dramatic increase in passengers.

Over half a million extra journeys were made on service 7A alone, 
which links Headington, Kidlington and Summertown with the city centre, 24 hours a day.

Good news for Public Transport as bus use rises

Following the announcement of Stagecoach Group results this week, bus bosses have praised the Stagecoach Oxford operation for its outstanding  performance over the last year.  Despite intense problems in recruiting staff in the area, use of Stagecoach Oxford buses rose by over 9% in the financial year 2000-2001, against an average of just 1% elsewhere in the country. Improved reliability, helped in part by recruiting and accommodating staff from Wales, Scotland and even France, has been singled out as the main reason for drawing people back on to its buses.

However, the Oxford Transport Strategy, which has effectively banned private motorists from the city centre has also played a vital part in increasing bus use in the city.

Over half a million extra journeys were made on service 7A alone, which links Headington, Kidlington and Summertown with the city centre, 24 hours a day. Elsewhere in the city over 200,000 extra journeys were made on service 1 from Blackbird Leys to the city and service 3 from Rose Hill to the city.

The Oxford Tube coach service to London, which runs every 12 minutes during the day, (making it the most frequent inter city coach service in Europe) also saw a huge increase in usage, welcoming an extra 80,000 people on board compared with 1999.

David Whitley, Marketing Manager for Stagecoach in Oxford was delighted by the results:

"This is great news for us and great news for Oxford, especially in light of the criticisms levied against the Oxford Transport Strategy. This is living proof that frequent, reliable bus services and value-for-money fares really do encourage people to switch to public transport."

In rural areas, where other regions have seen a significant loss of trade, Mr Whitley was particularly pleased with the company's performance:

"It is very difficult to encourage people onto country bus services, as they tend to be less frequent and therefore less attractive to private motorists. The fact that most of our rural bus routes have seen very slight increases in usage is very positive news indeed".

However, whilst numbers are continuing to increase in the current year, the company is concerned at the effect that roadworks are set to have on the reliability of its services.

"The current situation is simply unworkable." continued Mr Whitley. "You cannot simply close complete sections of road, such as George Street and St Clements without causing major disruption. We appreciate that the works are necessary, but they do little to encourage people to switch from car to bus."

Further concerns relate to the continuing driver shortage in the region, which is affecting the company's ability to put extra resources into its busiest routes. Stagecoach has even introduced a range of financial initiatives in an attempt to attract more staff, especially those who used to work in the industry.

David Whitley added, "Although the company offers drivers one of the highest pay rates UK, we are now offering an extra £100 bonus for people who come to us with a valid bus driving licence. Internally, we are also offering £200 to any current driver who manages to recruit a friend to the company.

"Bus use in Oxford is growing at a rate faster than almost any other region in the UK and it is vital we do all we can to ensure that trend continues well into the future."

Stagecoach M A N Oxford Tube nr 36 shows off new super rear advertising,
which is bringing additional revenue to Stagecoach in Oxford.

   FROM THE DRIVING SEAT  
A weekly commentary on your Editors favourite pastime.

A visit to Copenhagen last week provided the opportunity to ride on one of 
the twenty or so new Volvo/East Lancs triple door double deckers now operating 
between Kastrup Airport  and the city centre. Here we see 2810  passing
Tivoli Gardens in the centre of Copenhagen.

I had just travelled on 2819 from Kastrup and the late afternoon sun was 
casting long shadows making a good photo difficult.

This week was filled with a lot of travelling and I spent time in Copenhagen, Malmo, Gothenburg and Amsterdam. As a result I spent time riding on buses rather than driving them. One thing is noticeable overseas and that is that companies are more advanced concerning Travel Cards and accepting Credit Cards for payment. I know that plans are going ahead in Oxford for Smart Cards which will probably be introduced next year. However it is rare for anyone to be to use Credit Cards for payment on board. It is doubtless something which many companies are looking at but we seem to be lagging behind our continental cousins.

As there will less travelling in the next few weeks i should be able to spend a little time behind the wheel again but one thing being questioned in some quarters is the law governing the use of the third lane on Motorways by PCVs. It is somewhat bizarre that one CAN use the third lane on non Motorway roads such as the A40 and is another case of the odd laws we have in this country and Europe. Certainly it is often the case that one is "Baulked" on hills due to motorists sticking to the middle lane of a motorway, even if the inside lane is clear. 

Another interesting traffic fact at the moment is the speed camera on the A40 just before Hanger Lane London bound. The road has a temporary 30MPH speed limit and the camera has been reset. It is often like a laser show as vehicles coming in the opposite direction set off the flash, even when there is nothing coming the other way. One also wonders if the actual offence of speeding at that point to over 30MPH would be legally upheld in court, in view of the temporary nature of the speed limit. reading the motoring press lately it seems that many speeding charges are unproved when challenged by the poor soul caught.

Well more thoughts next week.

Company reports - to 1st July 2001

AIRLINKS

The new coaches on the 757/767 group of services have additionally fielded D307. Has anyone seen any others to those mentioned last week and this week?

Arriva serving the Shires and Essex.

Ex Wycombe Bus Lynx 3806 has received Arriva corporate livery.
However the fleet number changes depending upon where you look. 
The nearside front number is, as can be seen above, 3608. I must thank Arriva for a news worthy item!

General information is that Mercs now left are the Sainsbury one, the Travel Card example and the two later arrivals from other company depots. Lynx 3810 is now away for repaint and 3807(302) has now moved to the Engineering Area in Newlands Bus Station and work is proceeding on its engine. 

Following damage incurred in Newlands Bus Station , 5074 has returned repaired and is seen above awaiting its next duty. 

It would be cynical of me to suppose that 5822 has received an Arriva logo on the front, following my recent picture with a Wycombe Bus logo sported. It has now be Arrivatised  leaving on 5827 carrying an advert for Wycombe Bus drivers and quite a number of internal posters showing Wycombe Bus. 3833, the ex Oxford Dart (503) has yet to return from single door conversion. I understand it may have suffered a breakdown whilst returning from conversion and is presently at Luton.

Unusually a Mercedes Vario, normally on the U9 in the Uxbridge area was working a local service in Wycombe today, Sunday, bearing no destination or route number for intending passengers.

Oxford Bus Company (City of Oxford Motor Services)

Alexander demonstrator, V929FMS is seen here being prepared for service.
It finally entered service on 300 road last Tuesday. It was not in service this Sunday!

A point of note is that Volvo 615 is going through the paint shop and 650 is still off the road having a back end repaint following an accident. 

A very interesting table was published in a special 100th edition of the company news letter OXFORWARD. It highlights the fact that Oxford Bus now has an age profile of just 4.4 years. Details are given below.

A point of note concerning the table above is that 7 of the 27 deckers are the Olympians used seasonally. 
Without these the age profile is down to around 2.5 years. The arrival of six new coaches next year will further improve the profile. 

Following various items regarding the buses hired in during the 1970s when COMS suffered from maintenance problems, Andrew Dyer has written to note some interesting points. He says:

"I saw recently a message on your Oxford Bus News Page that someone was looking for details of vehicles that COMS hired in to relieve maintenance problems in the early 70's. I was at Magdalen College School in that era and have been racking my brains for details of what was around. 

As far as I remember, the first tranche of loaned vehicles were from Aldershot & District (Dennis Loline 3's) and East Kent (Regent 5's) which were given temporary fleet numbers A1, A2 etc and E1, E2 etc. I can remember Lolines 492 KOT and

AAA 527C and Regents GJG 750D,  YJG 826 and WFN 836. They were fitted with fixed destination blinds and the Lolines allocated permanently to Route 4 Wolvercote-Westbury Crescent and the Regents to Route 3 Rose Hill-Kingston Road - thus plenty of opportunity to spot from the school gate. 

Later there were other Aldershot DP Seated Reliances 414 DHO etc and I think a couple of Southdown Commer coaches VUF 928?? rings a bell. 

The Aldershot Lolines returned home and were replaced by a larger batch of their Loline 1's all in the SOU xxx series - I can remember 444 & 465. These were often used on Routes 6 & 7 - Wood Farm - Elms Rise/Dean Court. 

There were also some rough looking Rhondda Regent 3 or 5's which I think had just been withdrawn from service in Wales TTX 998 and UNY 4 spring to mind - often used on Route 8 Marston - New Hinksey.   

Finally I can recall a single Maidstone & District Fleetline 78 YKT (temp fleet no. M1) which I often travelled on into Oxford from Bletchingdon as it was allocated to Bicester Depot. 

Hope all this is of interest - somewhere up in the attic I may have a few old slides of some of these - if I find them I'll let you know. 

Best Wishes,  Andrew Dyer "

Thanks to Andrew and I am sure many of us look forward to him finding those slides!

Prestwood Travel, High Wycombe.

Part of the Prestwood fleet, kept at Binders Yard.

The local coach company Prestwood is in the news this week, having had its O licence authorisation reduced from 15 to 11 vehicles. This follows maintenance problems and a disciplinary inquiry in Cambridge. The company operates a regular route , 27, from Prestwood to High Wycombe and uses ex Green Line AEC coaches. A DMS, seen above, is also included in the fleet. 

Stagecoach in Oxford.

Fleet news is of the transfer from Leamington to an out-station at Stratford of Olympian 920 S920ANH. This bus is now included in Oxford fleet with fleet number 527 and is specifically for use on the revised 50 route details of which are given in the company press release below.

Stagecoach starts summer with hourly bus service from Oxford to Stratford

Following the recent announcement of its massive increase in customers, Stagecoach Oxford is looking forward to welcoming even more people on board with a new hourly link with Stratford-upon-Avon.

From 2nd July 2001, service 50 will run between Oxford, Chipping Norton, Shipston-on-Stour and Stratford every hour, Mondays to Saturdays, plus a further four times on a Sunday.

Although the existing service only runs three times a day, Stagecoach is confident that a number of key changes incorporated into the new service will make it a runaway success.

David Whitley, Marketing Manager for Stagecoach South Midlands, commented, "The problem with the old route centred around its dependence solely on tourist traffic, whereas the revised service - which includes a much requested link between Chipping Norton, Moreton-in-Marsh and Shipston-on-Stour - provides for commuting, shopping and even school trips as well."

Dennis Young, Publicity and Marketing Manager for Warwickshire County Council (one of three county councils supporting the route) added, "We are delighted that Stagecoach has pooled its resources to provide not just a useful tourist trail, but an essential link between market towns such as Shipston and Moreton-in-Marsh".

For full details, including information regarding through tickets to Warwick Castle, Birmingham and Leamington Spa, customers are advised to pick up the new leaflet or call Stagecoach on 01865 772250.

Oxford Tube Starts Summer With A Splash!

Travellers between Oxford and London will get a lot more than they bargained for from Monday (2nd July 2001), thanks to a great new offer from the Oxford Tube.

The popular Oxford to London coach service has teamed up with leading London River Boat operator, Catamaran Cruisers, to provide free Thames sightseeing trips for its customers.

A ticket for the free 'cruise', which normally costs up to £7, is available to any person buying a return ticket from Oxford to London during the week.

With return tickets from Oxford costing just £8 per person, customers will almost be getting their money back!

Bosses at the Oxford Tube - which has seen passenger numbers swell by over 80,000 during the last 12 months - say the move is one of a series of initiatives to add value to the award-winning service, whilst trying to encourage greater use of the coaches during the week.

David Whitley, Marketing Manager for the Oxford Tube said,
"Oxford Tube customers have long benefited from discounted entry to London attractions, but this is the first time we have offered something like this completely free of charge. In some ways we are taking a big risk, but at the very least it enables us to give something back to our customers, without whom we wouldn't be here in the first place."

Route Handed Over To Local Firm

Following the restructuring of its South Oxfordshire bus network from this weekend (1st July 2001), Stagecoach will be handing over the hourly Peachcroft Farm to Oxford route to local operator, Whites Coaches.

The Berinsfield firm, which already runs a minibus service into Oxford (X30) from the Dunmore Road area of Abingdon, is taking over the service thanks to financial support from Oxfordshire County Council. The two routes will be combined to re-establish the link between the Peachcroft and Dunmore/Wootton Road areas of the town .

Earlier this year, at a public meeting in Abingdon organised by local MP Dr Evan Harris, Stagecoach listened to comments from residents of the Peachcroft estate, who were concerned about the future of service 30.

Over the past few years, the route has suffered a decrease in passengers, following the introduction of high frequency express buses along the nearby Oxford Road, making long term investment harder to justify. However, bus company bosses are confident that a smaller operator with lower overheads will be able to devote the time needed to make it a success.

David Whitley, Marketing Manager for Stagecoach in Oxford commented,
"Our objective is to encourage more people onto buses which is achieved by investing time, effort and money where we have a good chance of making a difference. It would be unfair on the people of Peachcroft to continue running their service when we know that our resources are more desperately needed elsewhere. This is especially so when we know that a smaller operator with less routes - such as Whites - will be able to devote the time required to give the residents of Peachcroft the service they deserve."

All Aboard! Stagecoach Oxford Treats Staff To The Seaside

Bosses at Stagecoach are treating their staff with free trips to the seaside this summer, following the recent announcement of record passenger growth on its services.

Stagecoach, are running the trips for staff (and their families) as a thank you present for their hard work over the previous year.

David Whitley, Marketing Manager for Stagecoach South Midlands (which includes Stagecoach Oxford and the Oxford Tube) commented,
"To carry a million extra people in a year is a fantastic achievement in itself, but to do this despite having a shortage of drivers is nothing short of exceptional. Our staff have done an amazing job over the past year and all I can say is that we are lucky to have such an enthusiastic and committed workforce."

The trips, which will feature a number of different destinations, are initially running on Sundays throughout the summer. More are planned throughout the year if they prove successful.

"It will be a great opportunity for our staff to let their hair down", added Mr Whitley, "and a chance for us to get to know them in more social surroundings."

My thanks to David Whitley for allowing me to include these press releases in this weeks News Page.

PHOTO CORNER
If you have a digital camera and wish to submit photos for this page please send them to the me at 
malcolmhc@aol.com

One of the Heyfordian fleet based at Wycombe is this ex National Express Leyland Tiger,
now registered RIW9067. Does anyone know its original identity.
It has a Plaxton Paramount Express 3200 body and a fleet number 301 inside.
It seems to have come from Dunnett's Coaches.

I welcome your photos for inclusion on this page.
malcolmhc@aol.com

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