Oxford, High Wycombe & surrounding areas

updated Sunday 15th April 2001
the next update will be on Sunday 22nd April 2001

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 !

Expansion again for Thames Travel

Following the demise of Tillingbourne, a local beneficiary has turned out to be Thames Travel based at Wallingford. Starting only a few short years ago the company recently acquired FIVE Optare Solos and has now taken delivery of two Dennis Dart MPDs. These will be used on an ex Tillingbourne service - 144 Wokingham to Reading - expanding the operations of this growing fleet even further. More details can be found under the Company News heading below.

Other news is of services to be operated by Bucks County Council with the newly delivered Solos. For the Wycombe area these can now be revealed as detailed below.

Further services are planned for Buckingham, Aylesbury and South Bucks. Details of these will be given in future updates. The Solos will be based at suitable locations to the services operated.

Increased Car Parking charges in Oxford causes concern.

Shop owners are joining forces in Oxford to protest at plans to increase charges in the car parks served by the Oxford Park & Ride services. It seems there are also plans to increase City Centre charges on Sundays. An increase of double is on the cards for the Park & Ride locations which when added to the bus fare makes quite a charge for a group coming into Oxford. Whilst children do not pay on the Park & Ride services, it is not only families with children who use the services. Another bone of contention is the fact that users must pay to park their cars and the pay again on the bus. Indeed it may be argued that if the Park & Ride - the UK oldest such service - is so popular why is there always such major traffic congestion on the Abingdon Road? One can appreciate it is not the widest thoroughfare into Oxford but the Redbridge Car Park is the largest and nearest to the City Centre. This seems yet another case of a poorly thought out plan, somewhat like OTS (Oxford Traffic Scheme) which is supposed exclude most cars from the City Centre and Bus only areas - oh sorry I forgot those Taxis!!!!! - and sadly is much abused. Little or no policing of the restricted areas now takes place and one wonders what can be done to improve matters. 

Wycombe Wanderers return home to a Heroes Welcome

Wycombe Wanderers acquitted themselves well at the recent F A Cup game in Birmingham. Whilst they did not beat Liverpool one cannot say they did not have a damned good try. It was only when Liverpool brought on two strikers, including Heskey, that the game went a little against Wycombe. Even in the last minutes Wycombe still scored a goal against Liverpool causing some hearts to flutter.

The team were carried through Wycombe on a open top bus which was Daimler Fleetline with NCME bodywork. TCD376J. Owned by Memory Lane based near Maidenhead the bus in Red and Cream (what a pity it wasn't blue conveyed the players and officials to a Civic Reception watched by large crowds.

The Wycombe Bus Running Day promises to be a bumper extravaganza this year and will probably the last time that the Wycombe Bus Company livery will be seen in at such an event. Also nearing the end in Thames Valley livery is Olympian 229 which is due for repaint anytime now. So don't miss the fun from ten 'til five , timetables can be obtained from Wycombe Bus Station.

A new link gives added interest to coach driving.

NEWLINK

http://coachdrivers.homestead.com/indexwenstan.html 

Stanley Burden writes to say that he has a new web site at the above address called Coach Talk 

Its worth a look and will doubtless develop as time goes on. I wish Stanley all good luck with his new site.

Company reports - to 15th April 2001

Arriva serving the Shires & Essex.

Arriva Dart 3821 has arrived back from repaint and looks very smart.
It is seen leaving Newlands Bus Station on the 313 to Totteridge.
The wheels are really immaculate.

This week Volvo 3855(627) is away for repaint and will , upon return, mean that all the ex Oxford Volvos are in the Arriva corporate livery.

Iveco trainer 2236, N936ETU, which came from Arriva Cymru in 1998 , was in Newlands Bus Station last week on training duties. It looked very smart and had only 8 seats in its new role.

Following last week's view of 5071, displaying Luton town & airport on the 326, this weeks cameo is of ex Gade Valley 2127 working the 339 to Lane End. more confusion for the intending passenger, who is Gade Valley they may well ask. A senior citizen was heard to say, wasn't it nice when we new our bus by its colour. One does wonder who the companies are running services for!

Oxford Bus Company (City of Oxford Motor Services)

Oxford's coaches, like most coaches used on high frequency motorway services often
require replacement windscreens. This means work for the paintshop staff in replacing the vinyls
used to show the route operated.

All the Darts for Metrobus of Orpington have more or less being repainted (506 and 511 are nearing completion) and should be fully in service by next weekend. This has left a little more room in the Oxford garage and work should now start on the Olympians, with 208 and 222 returning from loan to Truronian in Devon.

Saturday saw both 604 and 638 unusually on 5 road. 

Stagecoach in Oxford.  

Comments have been made recently about the lack of coaches on the X50 to Stratford. It seems that all sorts of buses are used but I was able to prove that the M A N coaches are still used with this shot taken last Thursday afternoon with nr 58 waiting to pull on stand for a rush hour departure to Stratford.

Those bouncing Mercedes are now used on the route to Watlington, especially on Saturdays. Here we see 374 on a midday journey to Watlington, having just passed the Oxford Bus Company garage in Cowley Road.

TAPPINS OF DIDCOT.

Thanks to Steve Annells I can now bring you a current fleet list for this company. In the coming months I will hope to bring you various photos of the Tappins fleet. (The last seen column is the date which this fleet member was seen by Steve)

Thames Travel.

As mentioned in the Editorial above, two new Dennis/Plaxton Pointer MPDs have been received for the 144 service Wokingham-Reading. They are:

Y972YPN    Dennis Dart    Plaxton MPD    B29F +17s
Y973YPN    Dennis Dart    Plaxton MPD    B29F +17s

They are expected to enter service on the 144 next Wednesday and Thursday. They are additions to the rapidly growing fleet which recently received FIVE Optare Solos, the last being ex Demonstrator X249VWR.

  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

It appears that new regulations now demand that coaches be able to show route numbers on the rear 
and destination and route number on the side. This Van Hool of Selwyns, Runcorn has these features. 
It is Y476HUA and was operating the 550 London-Liverpool service of National Express.

Oxford's fleet does not yet have these embellishments, even the latest Y reg. 
Volvos lacking side and rear screens.

I welcome your photos for inclusion on this page.

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