Oxford, High Wycombe & surrounding areas

updated Sunday 17th September 2000
The next update will be on Sunday 24th September 2000

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 !

And it all seemed over as soon as it had begun. Saturday saw services returning to normal and the London services back to normal, more or less. 

I would still be most interested to hear from you how services in your area were affected.  It was reported that on Friday evening the last Oxford express journey to London had to be duplicated, doubtless because of reduced frequencies although the balancing working of the duplicate was little used.

A Tubeless Gloucester Green - the scene on Wednesday evening at 7.30pm.
The opportunity is being taken by council workers to repair the surface of the coach station.

Looking more like a Sunday, this was High Street/Queens Lane on Wednesday evening
shortly before 7.20pm. Only the Oxford Bus Company vehicles are in evidence.

Whilst other companies such as Thames Travel were probably affected I have no details at present. It seems however that some that problems are to continue for at least sometime to come until fuel stocks get fully back to normal.

Finally, and amazingly small roundabout has appeared on the Cowley Road just before The Plain, allowing diverted traffic priority to enter Cowley Road from Juene Street since St Clements is closed to through traffic entering the city as a result of roadworks. The result can seen below with Oxford express 22 leaving Juene Street.

Company reports - 17 September 2000

Airlinks - the Airport Coach Company (Cambridge Coach Services)

The occasional green and yellow Jetlink Scania is still seen in Oxford but normally services seem to maintained by the newer of the old CCS fleet, 320-325.

Oxford Bus Company (City of Oxford Motor Services)

Oxford Bus returned to a more normal service after only one day of restrictions. A few services are reduced and full details can be found on the company web site.

http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/news.html

On Thursday evening it appears a few journeys on city services were made by express  coaches with Volvo X90 nr 8 putting in one journey on 5 road but not operating the full route through Blackbird Leys Estate ! It is also suggested that coaches have been used on 2 road to Barton but I do not have full confirmation of this. It must have come as something of shock for Oxford citizens to be allowed onto coaches for local journeys.

58, a Volvo coach which has been off the road for some weeks now, has been returned to traffic fully repainted and looking very smart indeed. See the picture below.

Finally one duty not seen by most people is the use of one of the three tacho fitted Volvo buses 601-603 on late night rail replacement journeys to Banbury. The working leaves Oxford Rail Station around 1120pm. It is a one way working only.

Stagecoach Oxford.  

Stagecoach has also resumed normal service following a delivery of fuel and the official press release from the company is appended for your interest.

Following the scaling down of the fuel protests, and its first fuel delivery for over a week, Stagecoach Oxford has announced that it will be returning to its normal service levels much earlier than previously anticipated.

From 0500 on Saturday 16th September 2000, Stagecoach Oxford will resume normal operation on all routes, including the Oxford Tube between Oxford and London. Evening and overnight services will also run from Saturday night.

Stagecoach, who have been running to an emergency timetable for the past four days, are now confident that they have access to enough fuel to run full services levels. However, customers are still advised to double-check before travelling next week as further disruption to fuel supplies cannot be completely ruled out at this stage.

An enhanced staff transport system has already been implemented to ensure drivers can get to work, as restrictions on private supplies of petrol continue, although Stagecoach is delighted that many filling stations are now treating bus drivers as essential users of fuel.

David Whitley, Marketing Manager for Stagecoach Oxford, commented, “As fuel supplies seem to be on the move again, it is essential that we resume normal services for our customers as soon as possible. We are delighted to be in this position so quickly and thank all our customers for their patience and understanding.”

Thames Travel.

One presumes this company is now back to normal as well.

Wycombe Bus Company.

WBC services have returned to normal.  

  PHOTO CORNER
If anyone has a digital camera and wishes to submit photos for this page please send them to the above email.

Airlinks D202, a DAF/Van Hool leaves Wycombe NBS on the 460 on Saturday afternoon last.

Arriva 3127 seen leaving Wycombe, Newlands Bus Station, displaying its all over advertising
for a local VW dealer.

Second hand to Chiltern Bus, Olympian 5136 has recieved a new coat of paint
and now displays Arriva corporate lviery.

Oxford express 58 freshly repainted stands next to 57 still awaiting similar treatment.

Stagecoach Olympian 514 sees service on route 1 today Sunday, inbound to the City Centre.

Wycombe Bus 232 arriving at Wycombe in the mid afternoon sunshine last Saturday.

An almost deserted M40 hosts Oxford express nr 12, Oxford bound on Saturday afternoon.

Close by on the A40 junction at Stokenchurch, Wycombe Bus 626 heads off towards Oxford
on a late afternoon journey last Saturday.

Coach 22 again, this time Heathrow bound on Sunday afternoon. The newest and still shiny !

For comparison the latest offering from Plaxton, the Panther is seen in the Wallace Arnold fleet.
Oxford's  2001 deliveries will retain Excalibur bodywork.

The old and the newer, 242, (late 824!! in  the company of Dart 521 in Newlands Bus Station.
Wycombe bus Darts nearly all have rear end adverts.

I will be pleased to receive your reports for this section
Please send your reports to MalcolmHC@aol.com and thank you for all your sightings, they are most welcome.