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

updated Sunday, 14th April 2002
the next update will be on Sunday 21st April 2002

  Issue nr. 194

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.

Visit the Archive Pages going back to 1998

Your reports are welcome at malcolmhc@aol.com

Welcome to Issue 194, which has a special supplement to mark the launch of a fresh look for the Gatwick airport services of The Oxford Bus company.

click on the logo to go to the special News Page

The view of nr 33 OE02OXF, was taken on Sunday morning at High Wycombe
as the coach was heading towards Gatwick operating the 12 noon service from Oxford.

Newman Morgan writes to say "Not much in the Oxford Mail this week bus wise. Tuesday's edition carried an report to the effect that OBS would be stopping its buses at 11.30am to observe 2 minutes silence for the Queen Mother. Engines were to be switched off. SiO were also observing a two minute silence and Stagecoach marketing director commented that all Stagecoach buses throughout the UK would be observing 2 minutes silence.

The same edition carries an article on a parents boycott of the school bus from Bampton to Burford Community College. Some 90 children are bussed from Bampton to the Burford school and in previous years two buses were used. The contract is now in the hands of Angela's of Minster Lovell.  It seems that Angela's have bought a 106-seater double deck for the job - presumably an ex-Hong Kong 3 axle job - and many of the parents think it is unsafe. They are unhappy at so many children being on one bus. Apparently some 30 years ago 3 children from the village were killed on a school bus. Oxon CC transport dept is reported as being adamant the bus is safe and Burford's head teacher is reported as saying that although the school has no control over the issue it is a major problem that needs to be resolved.

Friday's edition carried an article on the launch of 'the Airline' from 6am today, Friday. "

Matthew Cooper writes to say "Ex Wootten's Leyland Olympian (TSO 30X) is now owned by Country Lion of Northampton and was seen at Campion School on a contract on Thursday 11th April.  It is still in a majority white livery with traces of Stagecoach stripes still visible.  I am in the process of getting a current fleet list from Jeffs Coaches and a list of what was lost in the fire in January at Helmdon. I am told that Oxford coaches 41-44 (M627-30 FNS) are due to go to Jeffs with the arrival of these new coaches at OBC."

I received an interesting note about the new Sunday services to Stratford from Oxford. Rob Williams writes "I have attached a couple messages posted on the West Midlands Buses Yahoo Group about Pete's first day in Oxford. The second message is really the one to look at, it is from a guy that did the whole round trip!

Macurran wrote "four of us braved the Dart on the 1015 departure, and it was R92XNE. Driver fully uniformed etc etc etc. I was even issued with a ticket 30 minutes into journey! Sadly, no one had programmed the ticket machine with the fare details for the £10 family effort, so, after 2 phone calls with Pete's Ops the driver issued a row of TEN £1 returns! Andy McK also got 10!

R92 "goes"! On the approach to Straford we even had a Pete's Inspector board, and ask to check our tkts. We were the only passengers on board! At that point a stock of Pete's timetables for the 20/50 was produced, and handed out to anyone who wanted one, and some American tourists who didn't!

Certainly a few bemused faces at the yellow bus as we burned to Oxford, and some QPMTS - Quality Petes Missing The Stop, very few people bother waving arms at the bus in Oxon. so twice we overshot by about 50-odd yards! However, the driver knew the route - I had expected a road atlas to be folded out over the steering wheel! That working to Oxford had about 10 passengers. No meeting party though Vix! As a place I failed to see what is so special about Oxford. Just a mish mash of half tarmacced half pedestrianised streets that lead nowhere!

We did the 1635 return trip, S something or other, an SPD. Driver not amused at the unravelling of a ticker-tape of bus tickets in his face! Then he questioned me what it was and what it was valid for, then as an afterthought decided he'd better punch it! Oxford bus station was fun, with the driver taking quarter of an hour to board
21 passengers, seemingly unsure as to whether he should accept Stagecoach returns. A helpful driver at Oxford told him he could, then assisted with the reversing, then did up the bonnet hatches before setting off. Anyway, we left with the stunning load of 21, supplemented by some not-unattractive bird, who later disembarked in the shack of Kiddington (note no 'L') where FOURTEEN more people boarded!

The 50 route gets silly where it pulls off the main road and goes round Chipping Norton, and some other shack with a narrow road through the middle. Can I reiterate at no point did the drivers show any sign of being lost! And the Dart is more than capable of keeping its own at the prevailing traffic speeds.

A helpful piece of info from the driver was that we had five minutes spare in Stratford, allowing the abuse of McD's facilities, or getting pics of the bus. I can also confirm this vehicle provided "quality" kipping opportunities.

All in all I was impressed with the operation, all buses turned up an ran bang on time, drivers knew where they were going - even if they were making it up as they went along with how to issue tickets - but experiences will ensure this is sorted for next week. The 2.5 hour journey really is not as horrific as it initially sounds (particularly if you saw Cross Country's delays tonight!). All in all, a day of QPH at its very, very best!"

Thank to MC for that piece which is most interesting. Not quite sure how the residents of Kidlington will take to their habitat being called a shack!

Vic Gackowski writes

BUSES TO GET £30 MILLION BOOST

Cash given by the Government for Capital Projects will enable a 10 year plan to be formulated to improve bus passenger services in the Oxford area. 

These include -
Upgrading of about 680 Bus Stops
Upgrading and providing better Bus Shelters
20 key bus interchanges  with new or better  waiting facilities
More user friendly vehicles
Live "Real Time" electronic timetables at Bus Stops

Mr Nigel Eggleton of OBC said that he was delighted that the County Council  was investing this amount of money in public transport. Both  OBC and SiO are working in partnership with the Council to introduce an information system which is hoped to be piloted by the end of the year.

Thanks to Vic for that one. 

I try to find nice settings for pictures and sadly the sun had gone by the time the bus came.
Arriva 3825 on a Sunday working of the 315 to Lane End. Seen by the duck pond, twice over!!

Thank you to all who continue to send information each and every week, this is much appreciated and adds much to the page and so on to the company news in our area.

News of the local companies - 14th April 2002

Airlinks

hot of the press via text message is news that Stort Valley Y824HHE , in Jetlink livery for the Birmingham-Stansted service operated a 757 service into Oxford today (Sunday). It is a Volvo B10M-62 with Plaxton Panther C49FT bodywork. Now that is a first. Wonder if anyone got a picture, I didn't.
Gloucester Green on Bank Holiday Monday.

Arriva serving The Shires & Essex

The next "Running Day" is planned for Sunday May 26th with a number of local routes being run as usual. There will be visiting Routemasters.

Rob Williams sent this picture which I felt deserved a large space. 
It shows 3806 being recovered to Wycombe from Reading Station. Thanks Rob.

Oxford Bus (City of Oxford Motor Services)  http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk

Pete's Travel, West Midlands

Ralph Adams writes. "Stagecoach have put up timetables of Pete's services to Stratford on Sundays. Pete's do not appear to have any of their own advertising. The starting point is noted as Oxford. Unfortunately this could be one of several stops and I could not find which one, so other passengers may also have problems.

Stagecoach in Warwick

Rob Williams sent some info on behalf of Keith Wood. He says "Keith Wood has sent me a couple of sightings to pass on to you this week whilst he is remains away from his computer.  

Merc 354 is now in new livery and Olympian 911 has been transferred from Leamington to Rugby. 205 is confirmed as being at Nuneaton.

Thanks to Rob and Keith for those snippets. 

Stagecoach in Oxford 

A Stagecoach in Northants Olympian 683 works the X38 from Oxford.

Ralph Adams wrote "Darts 776 and 787 have gone to Stagecoach South at Winchester on Saturday 6th April

Dart 778 has gone to Nuneaton to reserve with 324 plus a Merc

Back in service are 948 and 840, plus 374 at an unknown date.

Apparently several Mercs have been put to reserve at Nuneaton including 306 307 388 310 426 427 428 455 461 462
Dart 788 is in reserve at Oxford as are Training buses TR1 and TR2.
I have been told that the Banbury training bus, T4, is now at Oxford. This number conflicts with the National XOV753T which shows TR4.  National PUK621R is not in service at present and SJI4558 is awaiting disposal.

I have not seen any of the ex London Olympians, but all the Tridents appear to be still in Oxford.

Allocations.
422 apparently did not make it to Banbury, still being at Witney
Olympian 501 is now at WY, whilst 500/504 are at OX with 524
The Chipping Norton allocation is 3 Single deck, normally 901-903 from Oxford, plus a Minibus from Witney


BANBURY
The buses on the X59 have seen the 3 P Reg Darts being replaced by 106-108 which are K Reg Darts.

Thanks to Ralph.

Tracey wrote saying "JIM (her husband and a SC driver) took bus 310 to NUNEATON GARAGE stored ex OXFORD. He noted 306,307,324,426,427,428,455,456,461,462,778.  -  also  ex Oxford Tube 12 on the pits.

Chippy bus 902 has arrived back freshly repainted from Bedford on 10/4/02. It had a spell on 7A on the back of a Chippy duty. Bus 901 is next to be treated and already has been rubbed down and panel work completed."

Repainted Lance 902 leaves GG for Chipping Norton last Saturday.

Travelling passenger on one of the new Airline coaches gives a fine vantage point
for photographs. 934 works a 1 towards Cowley Centre.

Thames Travel

The ex Ipswich Dennis was on the 105 on Thursday evening.

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

If you wish to be included on a mailing list where I will advise of any mid week news please
let me know on malcolmhc@aol.com

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

  OXFORD BUS PAGE CONTENTS