News from Oxford
High Wycombe & the surrounding areas

update Sunday, July 11th 1999 by Malcolm Crowe

New buses and coaches continue to flood into Oxford and this last week has seen more vehicles entering service. On the Stagecoach front, news was broadcast in the Oxford Mail of a Public Enquiry into poor running of services to Heathrow and Abingdon. Worth's have received an ex Oxford Park & Ride Olympian as have Whippet and Charlton Services. The current high level of presentation of Charlton's fleet should mean that their ex Oxford Olympians will look very good indeed. (see News Page for 6th June to see what I mean). Traffic in Oxford, whilst now more aware of the changes, still sees many car drivers totally ignoring the bus only areas and the police seem unable to control this. Also the limited access situation which allows general traffic to access otherwise Bus and Taxi only streets during the evenings causes much confusion and serious traffic delays on St Aldates during the evenings. I would stress that this is my personal opinion but time can be lost on bus services to the detriment of the travelling public. Much work is still to be done and this is not helping the general traffic flows. Also with all the clubs and pubs in George Street, it is noticeable that this road is very congested, especially with people out for the evening who may have enjoyed themselves a little too much. It seems that an accident here is inevitable sooner or later.

On the Oxford Bus front, the fifteen Volvo B10BLEs are now all but delivered and all but one are in service (801-814.) with 815 ready for service. Indeed during Friday evening both 803 and 806 were on 2 road in the company of a dual door Volvo B10B and Olympian 221. Oxford Bus are to be commended for providing extra capacity on a busy summer Friday  evening, when many visiting students were using the buses. 60 road now sees mostly new Dart SLFs and even 16 road fielded an SLF on Friday night. Park & Ride Tridents now monopolise the 300 and the 400 has its share too. Friday night saw 111 and 227 maintaining the 400 with 101, 115 and 950 on the 300. 950 is just about finished now and its appearance on 300s was as a swan song. This bus has been well liked by its drivers and still performs very well. The style of windscreen certainly takes care of internal glare, which is still somewhat of a problem with the new Tridents. The older Olympians are now relegated to Q buster duties and carry appropriate lettering to that effect.  Tridents delivered are 101-117 with the remaining three 118-120 still to come.

An interesting issue of Buses Focus is now on sale and covers The Go Ahead Group including an excellent article on Oxford Bus plus archive photos of the fleet years ago.

Stagecoach, as mentioned above, now face an unwelcome public enquiry but on a positive note now have new M A N coaches up to 55 in service. 55 entered service last Friday without full livery but all the remaining coaches in services are now fully liveried . The problem of branded buses appearing on other routes continues with "blue tops" (918-931) being seen on 20, 31, 32 and X33 services. I have even seen the red topped Volvo B6s on Abingdon services. These normally operate the "Rose Hill Runner".

Regarding the Cambridge Coach Services 75 route, departures are now normally operated by the N30xBAV batch of Volvo B10Ms  However from time to time ex Wallace Arnold  Volvo/Plaxtons do still appear. 

Please click here to see P&R Trident launch - Dateline Tuesday June 1st 1999

You can still view the Tube launch report here.

A grand old girl and nearly 20 ! - 105 replaces 950 on service 300.

The Debenhams stop in Oxford City centre sees the departure of the
2323hrs service to Peartree on Friday 10th July 1999.
This was to have been the last day in service for 950 but as if not to
want to leave, she appeared on 300s again on Saturday 11th !!

Part of the 1999 fleet of Q busters share the line with 636, left and 813, right.
The Olympians from left to right are 223, 205, 207 and 201. These deckers work
extra peak hour services on the 2, 4 and 52 roads plus some summer school
contracts out to Abingdon. They will be withdrawn in September.

The new low floor Volvos are intended for 52 road but during the evenings
when there are spare buses it is possible to see them on other roads
scheduled for Volvo saloons such as 2 and 15. These new buses have
been well received by the travelling public and the writer feels sure that
they will stand the test of time for design quality and appearance.
811 operates the 15 road one evening last week.

The Metroriders are now somewhat spread with withdrawals and service
in other places. Here 778 awaits its next duty in Newlands Bus Station,
High Wycombe. 781 has been repainted at Oxford and is now blue with yellow
replacing the white area. It is to be used on staff duties.

Oxford Tube nr 44 is seen leaving Grosvenor Gardens, London en route
to Oxford last week. 55 has entered service now, albeit without full livery.

Arriva, especially in Wycombe, has escaped our attention recently and
we now bring you some photos taken today, 11th July 1999.
Above we see four Olympians of varying body types at rest at the garage.

5167, which started life up in Yorkshire, is seen in the latest livery
which is somewhat spoiled by the advert. This might look better if it
was placed to the rear of the 'tween decks area.

Sporting a mixture of the old livery and one for Hazelmere Windows,
National Greenway 3050 awaits its next duty at Wycombe depot.
Sunday 11th July 1999