This week, Florence Park loses its longstanding bus service (number 10/U10) to Oxford and the John Radcliffe Hospital.

This service is being withdrawn without consultation and precious little publicity.

According to the Stagecoach website, this is "part of an on-going programme of improvements" in conjunction with Oxfordshire County Council.

How has this come about?

The county council has paid to remodel the bus bays at Templars Square, Cowley, to allow buses to do a u-turn there, instead of continuing on their usual route via Rymers Lane and Littlehay Road.

Apparently, there have also been complaints at the Cowley area committee about double-decker buses using Littlehay Road.

This so-called "improvement" leaves many unanswered questions.

How can 10 buses an hour u-turning at Templars Square, on a very busy stretch of road, possibly improve traffic flow?

Those familiar with the area will also know that it is unlikely to save any time over the present route via Rymers Lane and Littlehay Road.

Why have some residents of Littlehay Road, who presumably don't use the bus themselves, been allowed to argue unchallenged for removal of the bus service?

Why weren't the views of the many people who rely on the bus service sought?

In any case, double-deckers, which are the source of the complaint, are used only in the evenings and on Sundays.

Couldn't this problem have been addressed without sacrificing the whole daytime and evening service?

As a result, Florence Park will be left with its worst bus service in living memory.

But then we obviously don't count in the grand designs of the bus company and our city and county councillors.

Peter Challis, Lytton Road, Florence Park, Oxford