News from Oxford
High Wycombe & the surrounding areas

update Sunday, 22nd August 1999 by Malcolm Crowe

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.

Saturday was a really lovely day in Oxford and all the buses were packed. Both major companies seemed to have a full service on offer and we can report a new operator for the 7C - Heyfordian. They are using a nice little Optare City Pacer and also seemed to be enjoying good load factors. Does anyone know where VSF436 came from and what is its history ? 

News from Oxford Bus is again limited but next week should see the arrival of the five new Volvo B10M-Plaxton Excalibur coaches for the Citylink services. They will replace the five Volvos ex Shearings 59-63. There is still no confirmation from the company as to which route the will go, Airports or X90 ! The new coaches will enter service on September 1st and as such should be the first 'V' registered PCVs in Oxford.

Traffic frustrations in Oxford continue, with private cars continuing to ignore the bus/taxi only areas. The Authorities may claim to favour public transport but they really are going to have to re-look at the abuses taking place. If one is to be brutally honest, it really doesn't work that well. Part of the trouble is that during the evenings, regardless of double yellow lines, cars are now parking all around the centre of Oxford and no one is doing anything about it. As a result bus timings are suffering and the operators have every right to complain.

For those interested in numerical coincidences, 112 is seen here in front of 224 last Saturday. It was surprising at this late stage to see an Olympian on Park&Ride but modification work is still taking place on the new Tridents, thereby causing shortages of serviceable vehicles, hence 224 !

Following our record of vehicles away from their more normal haunts, 407 was maintaining the 60 road last Saturday. It is not unknown for these buses to be on 60 road but the more normal fodder is the earlier Darts 501-520. occasions when it is impossible to provide the right bus if service is to be maintained. Last Friday saw an example of this when Dart 402 put in a spell on the 52 road and is seen here in Castle Street, Oxford en route to the Rail Station.

Oxford probably has the ultimate Park&Ride operation in the U.K. Service is maintained on both routes up to 1130pm from early in the morning. Here, 116 is seen in the new bus area, close to Oxford Rail Station on its last journey from Seacourt to Thornhill last Saturday. Load factors in the evening are not high but the service is there , leaving little excuse for people to bring their cars into town !

Earlier in the afternoon, BFS49L, an ex Edinburgh Atlantean, still giving good service, was seen in High Street, Oxford was a good load on top. These blue and white buses maintain the Oxford Classic tour and run in competition with Guide Friday. They run empty to Didcot each evening , where the are housed at Tappins Garage, a local coach operator.

Wycombe Bus 228, recently damaged in an incident with an Arriva decker in the bus station at High Wycombe is now under repair and should be back in service shortly. 225 and 226 are or should be in Wycombe now, leaving 227, which was in the paint shop at Oxford on Saturday. It is to carry an overall advertising livery with just the front end in company colours. 229 is of course in traditional Thames Valley livery, entering service on August 1st. It is now known that several Wrights bodied Darts will replace the remaining National at Wycombe. The Darts come from London and will be refurbished before entering service. A similar one is seen below in Stagecoach colours. 

The scene above was taken nearly a year ago, just in case you had forgotten that Stagecoach have been around for some years now in Oxford. The only change is the operation of the 35 road by Oxford Bus with Volvo saloons. The date - 10th September 1998.

You can still view the Tube launch report and the Oxford Bus P&R Trident launch - Dateline Tuesday June 1st 1999 here.

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THE OXFORD BUS MUSEUM