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

updated Sunday, 27th January 2002
the next update will be on Sunday 3rd February 2002

  Issue nr. 183

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.

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I have found a solution which does work normally - 
RIGHT CLICK ON THE PICTURE AND THEN CLICK ON "SHOW PICTURE"
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Visit the Archive Pages going back to 1998

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Welcome to Issue 183, of which your contributions form an important part of the content due to my involvement this weekend in an airline function in London. There seem so many new buses in London now it is often difficult to know which way to look. One surprise for someone not that familiar with London workings was the use of C reg Metrobuses on the 11 route. Those seen did not look so good , indeed somewhat past their best.

The weather, well it is one of the most miserable weekends for a long time and photography was certainly not encouraging. So this week there will only be a few shots for you for which I apologise.

One little piece of driving this last week saw me working the 602 from Kidlington to Kassam Stadium with Oxford Trident 109. There is a picture under company heading but the away team for this match was Torquay United and their team coach turned out to be one of Trathens latest Neoplans, 522.  This is seen below and the result of match 1-1 which was disappointing for the home fans.

Trathens 522 - YN51XMJ.

One of my regulars writes to inform me of happenings with Stagecoach who were subject to a hearing with the Traffic Commissioners resulting in a fine.

...... it seems that SiO have been ordered to repay £23,850 of fuel subsidy representing 5% of the amount in received for a three-month period.

Bus monitors who visited Oxford in March 2001 found that, of 657 Stagecoach journeys expected, 36 failed to run, 49 were more than 5 minutes late, 8 were more than five minutes early and a further 54 journeys failed to run frequently enough on busy routes. The Western area traffic commission determined that this resulted in an overall failure rate of 22.4%, very nearly 1 in 4 buses. The commissioner did not attach any conditions to the operators' licence.

It seems that under conditions set by the Department of Local Transport and the Regions, an average of 95% of buses should run within 5 minutes of their scheduled time.

Stagecoach South Midlands operations director argued that the failure rate was only 9.6% if special circumstances like driver shortage and long term roadworks, especially the Banbury Road, are taken into account.

Stagecoach point out that the 24% drivers pay raise had brought major improvements in reliability across the network and this move had led to a rise in fares together with a restructuring of the company's network. Bus timetables have been revised to allow extra time at busy periods, and extra supervisory staff recruited. The company is reported as arguing that a reliability rate of 90.4% was as high as any bus operator could reasonably have been expected to achieve in the circumstances.

The paper's editorial comment that, like everyone else these days, bus performance is 'measured' and in the tables and graphs used, these show a Stagecoach failure rate of 22.4%. To the customer, this represents 1 in 4 buses that were late to a greater or lesser degree or did not run at all. The editorial continues by reference to improvements made by Stagecoach, including the pay deal and that next time the time and motion monitors come to town Stagecoach's measures will have proved successful. The paper continues by stating that it is the easiest thing in the world to criticise Stagecoach or the Oxford Bus Company but neither have had an easy time with extensive and delaying roadworks being the norm. But with major repair and reconstruction work pledged this year the public can only ask for effort from bus companies in spite of obstacles.

Newman Morgan writes regarding Chiltern Railways "Another article in today's Oxford Mail reports on the complete closure for 17 days of the Chiltern Railways section of line between Bicester North and Aynho Junction, some 9 miles up the line. This will of course affect all Wycombe line trains running to Banbury, Warwick Parkway and Birmingham Snow Hill. The line will be closed between April 20th and May 6th to allow for the laying of a second track on the closed section of line and upgrading of both this and the present track to 100 mph running. When completed this will complete the project to re-lay the second track on the route all the way from Princes Risborough to Aynho Junction. It seems that trains from Birmingham/Warwick/Banbury will run via Oxford to Paddington where possible and vice versa to a special timetable. Marylebone services will run to a special timetable and terminate at Bicester North. A bus service will operate between Bicester North and Banbury Railway Stations.

Chiltern Railways state that the work will reduce delays, improve journey times and allow more trains to run. Er..is this the same Chiltern Railways that has been recently apologising for short and re-timed trains due to stock shortage?

Knowing the section of route as I do, it is substantially in cuttings and a relay job spread over several weekends, like Risborough-Bicester, is simply not feasible. I guess the Chiltern Railways livered Stagecoach vehicle at Banbury will have its work cut out for a couple of weeks!

The week seems to have flown by and I shall be off to Amsterdam again next week. However Saturday promises to be interesting, since Bristol are coming to play Oxford and this usually produces big loads and a strong police presence. On a recent occasion buses ran to Didcot after the match under police escort!

My thanks to al of you who have taken the time and trouble to email me and my apologies for not always have responded but I am anxious to get the page finished and posted (2156 as I write)

Well on to the company news in our area.

News of the local companies - 27th January 2002

Arriva serving The Shires & Essex

Steve Warwick wrote to report as follows:

23rd Jan 2002

Cressex Leyland Olympian 5108 has arrived back from repaint and is looking resplendent in Arriva's corporate livery. Olympian 5075 is away at present also being painted. The repainting programme is now resumed as apparently the company wants all the Blue/Yellow buses at Cressex completed in corporate livery.

Leyland Lynx 3074 is apparently being painted white and converted to a Training bus.

Thursday 24th Jan

A variety of buses on the Low Floor 303 route today, Cressex Merc 110 was on it for a while this morning, also Olympians 5822 & 5834..

I've noticed that Cressex Olympian 5110 has also been painted into Arriva Livery

Saturday 26th Jan

Hello Malcolm,

Unusual workings today Cressex Olympians 5108 & 5167 both on 303's. Volvo 3854 (I think) broke down in Reading and had to be towed back of a tow truck.

Matt Wheeler writes "I've got a brief update on the service changes taking place from Monday in Aylesbury that I mentioned last week.....

Routes 4 and 5, initially reported as passing to a new operator are to remain with Arriva, returning to the timetable they operated before Jan 2001 (when the Oxford Road bridge works started).

Princes Risborough routes 77, 78, 79 are to be operated by Z&S Travel. (aren't these the services once operated by Classic ? Ed.)

Oxford's Trident 109 was photographed last Tuesday prior to operating the
evening 602 services to the football. Although the company prefers not to operate
green Tridents off the Park & Ride sometimes there is no choice.

It is interesting to note that  Olympian 223 was reinstated last Tuesday and will be available from tomorrow for various work in the city. It is primarily for the football work.

Lynx trainers have been given fleet number from mid day last Tuesday. They now carry T1, T2 and T4. (C63, 64, 66 HOM)

Brighton & Hove's 504 visited Oxford last Tuesday and makes an interesting comparison
with Oxford's 17. 17 is missing its Airport lettering on the front upper screen following a
glass replacement.

Grayline of Bicester (plus some Bicester news etc)

Mention was made last week about this Solo which has been operating for Grayline.
It is seen here when operating for Somerset Rider in Minehead last summer.
I apologise for having mislaid the e-mail from the reader who sent in this photo.
Maybe he could let me know so that due credit can be given.
 

Jeffs of Helmdon

Malcolm P Smith wrote to ask "Do you know, or can any of your correspondents tell me/us, the registration numbers (and former reg nos where applicable) and any other details about the eight fire damaged Jeffs Coaches please? Also of interest may be information on the use of any hired in vehicles etc.

man also mentions this company.

Luxicars, Oxford

Rollright Driving School Enstone Roland then wrote "... has a Plaxton Paramount, sounds like a Leyland Tiger reg. no. 617 MUR ,pink and cream livery again I saw it yesterday.

Stagecoach in Warwick

I have received the followinf from Keith Wood "Service changes posted on the WCC website include revisions to service 50 on February 11th. The service will be split into two 20 Oxford - Chipping Norton and 50 Chipping Norton - Stratford. Through fares and connections will be available in Nuneaton and Bedworth a simplified 50/51/52 service pattern will operate whilst two services are being improved. 48 on Saturdays will become 20 min as Monday - Fridays and 6 will also be increased from 30 to 20 mins. (about time too !) These changes take place on February 4th.I must say Nuneaton really is improving services. There are now more Nuneaton - Bedworth - Coventry buses than I can ever remember !"

Stagecoach in Oxford

Neil Gow wrote "Just read on UK Bus fleet news that Fife M.A.N. 279 (must be quite a new model as they stop at 268 in the book I have) is destined for Oxford, with 278 going to Cambridge. There may be more as it looks like the whole batch are being replaced with older Volvo/PSs at Fife.

MAN/Alexander ALX300 279 SP51AMO should have arrived at Oxford in the last few days. It is expected to go into service on route 1.

M A N 's 913-5, 933 and 934 are being branded for route 3.

Vehicles loaned to Stagecoach South for Rail replacement services during the SWT strike.

Company vehicles will once again help out with Stagecoach SWT. please let me have reports of duties and buses involved if you can. I understand they may have gone down today.

Tappins and other news from Steve Annells inc Thames Travel.

A new Dennis Dart/Plaxton noted this afternoon with Thames Travel in all white: KP51UFL, apparently the first of six. (indeed that is correct, 2 10.8 metre ones and 4 MPDs.)

PHOTO CORNER
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malcolmhc@aol.com

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