Oxford busses receive £10 million boost
More than £10 million of government funding to improve services for Oxfordshire’s bus passengers has been secured.
More than £10 million of government funding to improve services for Oxfordshire’s bus passengers has been secured.
Oxfordshire County Council and the local bus operators that make up the Oxfordshire Bus Enhanced Partnership have been awarded £10,146,513 for 2025-26, following the submission of a delivery plan earlier this year.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “Building on the success of previous years, this funding will enable the council, in partnership with the bus companies, to continue delivering new and improved bus services, infrastructure upgrades, and initiatives that make public transport more accessible, reliable, and attractive for residents and visitors alike.
“These improvements are part of our ongoing commitment to delivering a greener, fairer, and more connected transport system for Oxfordshire.”
Just over half of the funding will support bus priority measures to improve journey times and reliability, including smart traffic signals and dedicated bus lanes; upgraded infrastructure, such as real time passenger information displays and improvements to bus stops and interchanges; and vehicle improvement grants to help operators invest in cleaner, more comfortable, and technologically advanced buses.
The rest will support a wide range of initiatives, including continuation of routes like the 64 between Witney and Swindon, the 500 between Bicester, Brackley and Banbury, and X34 which runs between Harwell Campus and Newbury, all of which were funded by the original grant in 2022.
The funding will also support a number of improvements in August, including increasing the popular X32 and X40 services from Didcot and Reading to Oxford to every 20 minutes on weekdays, and providing new Sunday services in Bicester, Banbury and Chipping Norton.
It will also fund simpler and more affordable fares, including the continuation of the popular MyBus Oxfordshire multi-operator ticket, support for vulnerable groups, such as a 12-month extension of the free bus pass scheme for asylum seekers in Oxford; improvements for passengers, including a countywide bus stop audit, a new bus stop design guide, targeted marketing to raise awareness of services; and a pilot scheme to help schoolchildren build confidence in using the bus network.
Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, Carousel Buses and Pulhams said: “Partnership working is key to a successful bus network, and it's been great to work in partnership with the council and other operators to both win this vital funding from government, and to help prioritise it to the areas where it can deliver the greatest benefit to bus users in the county.
“We're looking forward to delivering several important improvements to the network over the coming months to help encourage even more people in Oxfordshire to give the bus a try.”
Chris Hanson, Managing Director for Stagecoach West, said: “The announcement of this significant funding for Oxfordshire is fantastic news for bus users across our county.
“Through our successful partnership with Oxfordshire County Council and other bus operators this will enhance and further the improvements we have worked on in recent years – making bus travel in Oxfordshire an easy, safe and reliable choice.”