from THE OXFORD BUS PAGE
News from:
 Oxford, High Wycombe & surrounding areas
and thoughts for H.M.The Queen Mother who passed away on Saturday 30th March.

updated Sunday, 31st March 2002
the next update will be on Sunday 7th April 2002

  Issue nr. 192

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 192, coming at a sad time following the death of H.M. The Queen Mother. As a mark of respect my typeface this week is in black.

Indeed, this has been a week of tragedy with a really bad pile up on the M40 last Thursday bringing chaos to the surrounding road network and trapping hundreds of motorists for long hours following the 7am pile ups. The M40 was closed southbound from 7am until around 7pm with consequent problems for many thousands of people. Coach services using the M40 at this point were also subject to delay and diversion and it is a credit to the two main Oxford companies that services operated more or less to time during the 12 hour period. There was fog in the early morning and I, having a week's holiday, was on my way to Oxford for an airport duty. I had passed the scene of the accidents only moments earlier, little thinking that shortly thereafter two people would lose their lives and numerous people would be injured, some seriously.  It was not until sometime after 8.30am that I approached the M40, operating the 0830 X70 service to Heathrow. I had a good load on board and we were already aware of the closure of the M40 from jc. 7 to jc 6. I had a number of ideas relating to diversions but had not made any final decision. It was only after passing over jc 8 at Wheatley that I saw the long tail backs of traffic and decided to follow an Arriva 280 towards Thame. Passing through the centre of Thame I followed the B4445 towards Chinnor eventually rejoining the M40 at jc 6, Lewknor. It proved to be a wise choice since I arrived at Heathrow T4 only moments after the 0800 service. My return journey was made leaving the M40 at jc 6 and following a very busy A40 towards Oxford. By this time the A40 eastbound was solid and stationary all the way from Wheatley to Lewknor and upon arrival at Oxford I learned that all coaches were being instructed to use the Thame-Chinnor diversion. The Oxford Tubes were using Stadhampton-Watlington for their routing, enabling them to pick up at Lewknor. My second journey on the 1300 to Gatwick was made via Chinnor and I arrived at Gatwick only 20 minutes late. traffic at Wheatley was seriously delayed which is where I lost the 20 minutes. The day proved interesting though one cannot forget the poor souls who did not reach the end of the journey.

Not only did the National press cover the accident in detail but the local weeklies, The Oxford Times and The Bucks Free Press also gave front page coverage to the M40 with many photos, including ariel photos of the scene. My homeward journey on Thursday evening allowed me to see the skid makrs on the road surface. I can honestly say I have never seen so many diverse marks in over 40 years of driving.

The next few weeks promise to be most interesting with several new and fresh buses taking the road in the City of Oxford. Details are given under the specific operators headings but the most significant will be the introduction of a totally revised Airport service by city of Oxford motor Services - Oxford express. A new look as well as new coaches are imminent and this page will keep you fully informed.

Newman Morgan writes to tell us developments relating to Chiltern Railways "This week's edition of the Bicester Advertiser reports on the launch on Tuesday April 2nd of Chiltern Railways Bicester Taxibus service. Four luxury taxibuses will link Bicester's residential areas of Bure Park, Southwold, Langford Village, Bicester Fields, Glory Farm, Greenwood and Kings End with Bicester North railway station. The fare will be £1 single, £2 return which competes favourably with the £2, £3 and £3.50 car parking charges at the station. (Langford Village to Bicester North on Stagecoach 27 was £0.70p single but may have gone up at the last fares increase. On Grayline 22/23 it is £1.15 single - the routes are different!). The service has cost Chiltern £170k and is receiving a subsidy from Oxon CC. In Summer 2002, several local villages will be added to the scheme. During the rush hours the taxibuses run to fixed routes and timetables, out of peak hours the taxibuses will run to telephone demand on no fixed routes. The taxibuses, three 7 seater Ford minibuses and one slightly larger variant with wheelchair accessibility, will be monitored by satellite by the Chiltern Railways control centre at Banbury. Apparently this is the first scheme of its kind in the UK although Chiltern do run a smaller scheme at Princes Risborough, this being the Arriva 320 service to Chinnor.

On another subject so may people have commented on the period of operation at The Oxpens, I felt it appropriate to mention a few points. The Oxpens had a number of significant benefits over Gloucester Green. first the coach operating area was almost perfect. It had plenty of space for manoeuvring and ample parking area. There was still room left for tour coaches. Passengers arriving by car found it much easier to drop off and taxis were readily to hand. The area did lack proper waiting facilities and refreshment establishments but there was temporary accommodation.  The return to Gloucester Green has seen the return of limited parking, congestion and delay. The cafes are pleased to have the coaches back but waiting facilities are somewhat lacking, nowhere to sit comfortably unless you go in a cafe. The toilets are in my opinion nothing short of disgusting. Those for sitting down are virtually an aluminium bucket hardly fit for an animal let alone a human being. I wonder whether those who planned them have used them. Also if passengers want to use the toilets after 8pm they are shut, no wonder the Tube to London is so popular! So it seems that if the choice was there many people would wish to see The Oxpens upgraded and used by express coaches. Then the tour coaches could all fit snugly into Gloucester Green, so much nearer to the City the tourists have all come to see. They would have to improve the toilet though, the American's comments say it all! I would be most interested to hear comments from my readers on this subject, the location more than the toilets.

Talking of The Oxpens, its  use as a temporary coach station came to an end on Saturday last, when normal service was resumed following several weeks of resurfacing and repair work at Gloucester Green Coach Station. Services returned to the cramped confines of GG after the operating comforts of The Oxpens. Whilst that area lacked cafes and proper waiting facilities. , most people commented on how easy it was to operate from. Intending passengers were able to get more easily to their coaches and the shuttle bus worked well.  It will be interesting to see how matters concerning the new Oxford Rail Station progress and the expected Rail/Bus interchange. Also whatever happened to the new city bus station included in the plans to redevelop the Westgate.

Gloucester Green exit with Selwyns P522NMA leaving the congestion on service 303.

Another National Express departure, the 310 operated by Volvo HE5362.

Again I must complement so many of you 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 - 31st March 2002

Airlinks

Jetlink V24 arrives at Oxford on the 757. It illustrates nicely the letter below.

A member of one of the University colleges wrote to me last week saying "The weekly news page is great. I was surfing the web looking for information on coaches to Cambridge and your page appeared twice, high in the list. However, I haven't yet found what I'm looking for. I've seen a green Jetlink bus stopping at St Clements that seemingly goes directly to Cambridge. The coach looks a bit old, but it would be great to travel to Cambridge directly! Do you know the service hours for Cambridge for Sundays? and where to find them?

I looked up the "Jetlink" website before replying. You end up on GobyCoach site, not advertised on the green Jetlink coach, where you must give a time and date to travel. you then get a couple of services but no full timetable. I hope the writer get what they want from the web site and if they travelled last Thursday morning, they would have got a green Jetlink coach, nr V24. I am also impressed the writer got my page for travel to Cambridge by surfing but why didn't they get the National Express site, I wonder?

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.

Lynx 3809 turns into a housing estate at Simmons Way, Lane End.

Carousel - High Wycombe

M2295 makes its way down Marlow, High Street last Saturday morning.
It now has blinds for the 325 service.

Oxford Bus Museum

The Oxford Bus Museum formally opened its new premises last Wednesday. The event was attended by about 100 people including the author Colin Dexter (Morse) and the opening was carried out by Carlton TV Broadcaster, Wesley Smith. Wesley is also a bus enthusiast and welcomed the presentation of a Corgi Oxford AEC Reliance suitably inscribed and mounted. The buildings have been completed with Lottery Heritage funding and now form the basis of an excellent museum.

Wesley thanks the Museum for inviting him formally open the revamped site.

some of the one hundred or so guests at the formal opening.

A 1927 Daimler which once plied the streets of Oxford.
Nigel Eggleton, Oxford Bus Commercial Director is seen behind Colin Dexter of Morse fame.

Wesley Smith interviews Colin Dexter on the ex Oxford Titan 975.
Colin was heard to comment on The Last Bus to Wolvercote!

Exhibits are well laid out, many creating just the right atmosphere.
This can be seen in the picture above with an ex Mulleys Bedford OB.

Many older Oxford buses can be seen at the Museum at Long Hanborough.

More modern examples are also to be seen including this Thames Transit minibus
and the most recent addition, ex Oxford Citylink Leyland Leopard nr 21.

Colin Judge, Museum board member thanks Wesley Smith for his contribution to the
days events, with Wesley showing off his new model bus presentation.

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

Ex Oxford City 778 now with Emsworth - photo by James O'Neill

Stagecoach in Warwick

Keith Wood is back this week. He writes "Transfers are of Dart 104 from to Rugby and Olympian 910 from Leamington to Rugby. There was no sign of any
more ex London Olympians at Rugby or the latest ex Oxford B6. However if it is in Stripes it may have gone to Banbury for a repaint first ? B6 470 is back in service at Nuneaton in new livery. 471 was missing so I'm assuming it's down at Banbury next in line. Here's one for Rob ! Olympian 914 has received new livery replacing that horrible broken up rear advert and shabby stripes paintwork ! It also has new style front reg plate and old style rear as per 221/223-225.

Dart 104 has moved from Banbury to Rugby. Olympian 910 has moved from Leamington to Rugby (as a replacement for 846 damaged in an accident I believe).

On Thursday at Nuneaton 21/3/02.....

B6 470 was in service in New Livery. 471 was missing so this will probably be the next one repainted. Ex Oxford Mercs 306 / 307 / 426 / 427 / 428 / 461 / 462 were still at the side of the depot. Ex Banbury Merc 361 was being used by Nuneaton depot engineers as a runabout.

There was still a B6 shortage at Nuneaton which forced Dart 110 onto the 48 Atherstone - Coventry and later 1/12 Weddington - Caldwell (always a 709D ! - very rare working this one). Also Merc 343 was working 50/51's and 10's in place of a B6. The shortage is acute when PrimeLine Darts are in for maintenance - forcing B6's onto the 48. Three were off the road at one point on this particular day although they are turned round as quickly as possible by depot staff.

Finally Olympian 914 is in new livery seen yesterday in Pool Meadow (26/3/02)"

Newman Morgan writes "Safety work at Banbury Bus Station starts on Tuesday, April 2nd. It will take 3 months, cost £210k, and improve passenger safety following a report by the Health & Safety Executive after an elderly woman was killed at the old Bus Station in 1997. The present bus station is laid out along similar lines to the old bus station and controllers have been used to supervise reversing buses.

The paved pedestrian area is being extended, new shelters provided, raised platforms for low floor buses are being provided and automatic bus barriers are being installed.

SiB believes it will benefit all passengers and says that it has been asking for increased safety at the bus station and the council has listened."

Stagecoach in Oxford

Following the accident on the M40 last Thursday, both Oxford operators were hard pressed
to find coaches to maintain service. Stagecoach solved the problem by using
London Trident TA431 seen here on the first of two round trips made that day.
It appears one Tube was locked in on the Motorway all day.

Neil Gow wrote saying "I think one of the Tridents may have done a trip on the Oxford Tube today. There has been a lot of traffic chaos following a major incident this morning on the M40, which will have delayed coaches considerably.  Many Oxford Tubes and at least one Oxford Express have diverted via Watlington Road and Stadhampton.  About mid-morning I saw a Trident go past in Stadhampton direction with people on, and it came back again, with people on, early afternoon.  I would guess they've had to use spare vehicles to cover for late-arriving inbound journeys and the Trident was one of them - I wonder if any of the coach-seated Olympians got a run out too. (To the best of my knowledge only TA431 was used on London service Ed.)

Newman Morgan wrote "Today I have been stuck on the M40/A40 between Junctions 8A and 6 owing to the horrendous accident. Bicester to Heathrow took 3 hours instead of around 1 hour.

Anyway, at High Wycombe at 1.20pm this afternoon I passed Trident TA431 heading back to London. I assume it was heading on delivery to Stagecoach in London. The front destination box masking tape, to allow for it's 'Oxford' blind layout, had not been removed but everything was set to blank. I cannot think of any other reason for TA431 to be on the M40, unless it was fulfilling a Tube role with the inevitable late running of today. There were 3 passengers upstairs at the front but I assumed these to be the driver's family!

I responded to Newman re TA431 was on a Tube working. He then replied."....Tis interesting indeed that TA431 was operating a Tube service. I don't know which way the Tubes were going to London, but from London they were using the A40 between J5 or J6 and J8. I saw one Tube with "Sorry Coach Full" on its matrix display heading towards Oxford. I guess this one was running very late as it was followed by a succession of almost empty Tubes at about 5 minute intervals. On my return from Heathrow during the afternoon I did note one London bound Tube crawling through Tetsworth on the A40.

Newman also mentions that "Thursday's Oxford Mail carries a letter from a Horspath resident complaining that Stagecoach are breaking the law on three counts at their Horspath Road depot.

The writer states that Stagecoach are

    a) parking buses on a clearway,
    b) parking buses opposite a junction and forcing other traffic to cross the hatchings marked on the road, and
    c) leaving vehicles unattended on the highway with their engines running and thus leaving them open to joyriding.

The writer concludes that Stagecoach has a different set of laws to abide by than other road users. He also questions how Stagecoach managed to get an Operators Licence for 135 vehicles from the Horspath Road depot when less than half that number can be accommodated there! The writer further commented on the fact that there is no staff car parking facilities other than in the neighbouring streets and cement works and thereby Stagecoach employees are obstructing public rights of way. The writer appears not to be a Stagecoach fan!!!"

One has to feel concern for operators who get so badly "slagged off" in the press, like Arriva some weeks ago. It cannot be easy to run a bus company these days and even when an operator tries to get new facilities, he is met by protest at every turn of the way. Witness Kidlington in the case of Stagecoach.
 

Loaned Solo 613 was still at work on Tuesday last on the shuttle run.
It appeared gone by Thursday.

The Tubes continue to gain super rear ads which doubtless add to the revenue earned by these goliaths. However from a distance on the motorway they do look rather like trucks instead of a luxury coach.

The latest super rear is for BT, seen on 35, 36 and I think 41 or 42.

Ralph Adams writes this week saying "The shuttle bus was meant to have been in use until 4.00 today, but I did not see it today. National Express and Airlinks were apparently still at Oxpens on Saturday which is why the Solo was still in use on Saturday (Indeed it was still in use on Tuesday by which time all services had reverted to GG. Ed)

Kidlington Cavalier 918 is no more. It has returned from Bedford in its new livery and is (I believe) the first to be so treated. Presumably it is now the start of the blue tops to disappear.

In last weeks report, the Olympian is reported as having 5 extra seats. 2 of the Stagecoach staff have individually told me that 3 extra seats have been put in to replace the door. Could you confirm that there is another double seat downstairs as I have not had access to BRS where it is still parked."

Ralph I can confirm that it has only THREE extra seats. My error and apologies for that.

Woottens

Michael Wootten wrote "It was a nice surprise to see you at the Oxford Bus Museum last Wednesday. It has been a while since I sent you any fleet news for Woottens.  I thought you and your readers might like this update. 

FLEET NEWS FOR WOOTTENS, CHESHAM, BUCKS

Volvo B12M \ Plaxton Panther C49Ft demonstrator B12MVB is on loan from Volvo Coach Sales.

Acquired are Volvo B10M MK4 \ Jonckeere Deauville 45 N807NHS C49Ft from Jeffs of Helmdon and Leyland Leopard \ Willowbrook Warrior ABW 310X (VUD 33X) B48F from Oxford Bus Company.  (It is of note that Heyfordian have only just bought some coaches from that very same batch)

The number of Leyland Tigers here has fallen to three, all of which remain for school duties.  Former MOD Leyland Tiger \ Wadham Stringer B811YTC DP68F is in American style yellow School Bus livery for its new role.

Withdrawn Leyland Tiger \ Plaxton Paramount 3200E SDW934Y C48F has passed to Second City Travel of Birmingham via Coach Europe (dealer), while withdrawn Leyland Olympian \ ECW  TSO30X is with Fleetmaster (dealer).

Iveco Eurorider 350 \ Beulas Stergo 'e' C53F X644GJU has been re-registered W100TEN.

Full fleet information, including photographs and detailed vehicle information, can be found on the company web site at www.woottens.co.uk

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

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let me know on malcolmhc@aol.com

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malcolmhc@aol.com

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