BUS PASSENGERS in a West Oxfordshire village now have more flexibility to travel across the district after residents formed a community transport service.

Freeland Community Bus launched on Thursday and is aiming to offer £2 return journeys to Witney twice a week.

The community bus is framed as cheaper and more convenient than Stagecoach's number 11 service between Oxford and Witney, which stops in the village just three times a day on weekdays.

But West Oxfordshire District Councillor for Freeland and Hanborough Merilyn Davies fears the project could 'undermine' work to extend the number 11 in the village.

Both Ms Davies and fellow ward representative Alaa Al-Yousuf have separately worked to set up a community bus service.

Mr Al-Yousuf is chairman of Freeland Community Bus and insisted the project would meet residents' needs.

He said: “Some older folks spend three or four hours in Witney between buses.

"There was this huge gap in the middle of the day with no service.”

The number 11 stops on Freeland's Broadmarsh Lane at 10.53am, 4.04pm and 6.24pm on weekdays, with the £4 return journey leaving the town at 2.20pm and 4.40pm.

Alternatively, Freeland Community Bus leaves the village hall at 10am on Thursdays, stopping at the Little Free Library and Freeland Primary School at 10.05am and 10.10am.

It drops passengers at Sainsbury's and Waitrose in Witney, before picking up from the same locations at midday and 12.10pm.

Travel is currently free during a trial period and is hoped to extend to Tuesdays at a later date.

1st Hanborough & Freeland Scouts has offered its minibus, with five volunteers enlisted as drivers.

Oxfordshire County Councillor for Hanborough and Minster Lovell, Liam Walker, has awarded a portion of his Councillor Priority Fund to cover the service's first six months.

But Ms Davies, who has spoken to stakeholders including Blenheim Palace about setting up a bus service, feared it could damage the number 11 service.

She said: “This is a great initiative and I would have welcomed the opportunity to be involved.

"I worry, however, that for a short term political gain this risks a long term solution to rural bus provision.

“A community bus shouldn't threaten the commercial viability of established providers or threaten the extension of their current provision."