Oxfordshire has been awarded £12.7million of Government funding for bus improvements.

It will support cheaper fares for under-19s, new rural services, bus priority measures and proposed traffic filters to reduce journey times, and the introduction of new zero emission electric buses over the next three years.

However, the amount is a fraction of the £56million the council bid for from the Government.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “In the context of a significantly reduced funding allocation nationwide, with only 40 per cent of BSIPs [Bus Service Improvement Plans] receiving any money, £12.7million represents a significant boost for bus users in Oxfordshire.

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"It is welcome confirmation from the Government that our approach to prioritise public transport is the right one."

Mr Gant said effective public transport is key to the council's priorities. 

“Supporting cheaper travel for young people, including the introduction of a £1 flat fare within Oxford as well as reduced fares for under-19s countywide, is a priority.

"We want young people to adopt sustainable transport habits which will then stay with them throughout their lives," he said.

Passenger numbers in Oxfordshire, which had been in decline between 2014 and 2019, were badly hit by the impact of the pandemic.

Bus companies have also suffered from rising fuel prices, shortages of drivers, and uncertainty about financial support from the Government.

The Bus Service Improvement Plan is one of a number of measures being brought in by the council and its partners, including the bus operators, other local authorities and major employers, to increase passenger numbers.

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Others include a new combined parking and bus ticket coming later this year to the city’s five park and ride sites and an £82.5million scheme providing a fleet of 159 state-of-the-art electric buses.

Oxfordshire’s inaugural bus summit in June brought together a host of organisations to discuss how to improve public transport in the county.

A campaign was also launched highlighting the economic benefits of using buses to help combat the cost-of-living crisis.

And there has been an enhanced partnership between Oxfordshire County Council and the bus operators to improve services, the council said.

The Government’s National Bus Strategy aims to get more people using buses through revisions to fares, routes, hours of operation and availability of information, and to see improvements to reliability, punctuality, and journey speeds.

 

 

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