SATURDAY shoppers in the Chipping Norton and Wychwoods areas can benefit from an extra bus service being launched tomorrow.

A morning journey has been added to the No 811 route, operated by Pulhams Coaches.

The route links Salford, Chipping Norton, Churchill, Kingham, Lyneham, Shipton-under-Wychwood, Milton-under-Wychwood, Fifield and Idbury with Bourton-on-the-Water and Chelten-ham.

Until now the service has just run as an afternoon round trip, leaving Salford at 12.35pm and Chipping Norton at 12.45pm and reaching Cheltenham at 2pm, with the return bus leaving Cheltenham at 4.30pm and arriving in Chipping Norton at 5.45pm, continuing on request to Salford. This service continues to operate unchanged.

From tomorrow, an extra service is running in the mornings, with a bus leaving Salford at 9.40am and Chipping Norton at 9.50am, reaching Bourton-on-the-Water at 10.35am.

Passengers travelling to Cheltenham must change here on to a Pulhams No 801 service to complete their journey, arriving in Cheltenham at 11.27am.

In the opposite direction, passengers travelling on the 9.45am No 801 bus from Cheltenham to Moreton-in-Marsh will be able to change on to the return run of the morning 811 service, which will leave Bourton-on-the-Water at 10.40am and is due in Chipping Norton at 11.25am and Salford at 11.35am.

All connections at Bourton-on-the-Water are guaranteed, with buses waiting in case of delays, and through fares will be available.

Charles Wright, of Pulhams, said: “The extra service in the morning gives passengers from Salford some time in Chipping Norton on a Saturday morning and gives everyone from Salford, Chipping Norton, the Wychwoods and all the other villages along the route the opportunity for longer in Bourton-on-the-Water and Chelten-ham.

“Going the other way, the morning service from Bourton back to Salford also offers the chance for villagers to have some time in Chipping Norton before returning on the afternoon bus.”

For more details, see pulhamscoaches.com or call 01451 820369.

  • Bus passengers have until Friday to comment on any changes they would like to see on routes formerly run by Witney firm RH Buses, which ceased operating in October.

The county council will let new tenders for subsidised services next year, once the responses to the consultation have been assessed. For details, see myconsultations.oxfordshire.gov.uk