PROPOSALS to cut buses in the centre of Oxford by a quarter, are being put forward by the city’s two main bus companies.

Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach said all buses could be taken out of Queen Street as early as next year, two years ahead of Oxfordshire County Council’s own schedule for pedestrianisation.

Bosses at the rival companies are also looking to introduce joint ticketing and joint time-tabling to reduce the number of buses clogging up Oxford’s streets, without hitting the regularity of services.

Paul Cross from the Oxford Bus Company, pictured, left, and Bill Kucylo, right, from Stagecoach, signalled their readiness to enter a new era of co-operation, by offering to form a Quality Bus Partnership with the county council – which is still consulting on its Transform Oxford pedestrianisation proposals.

County Council leader Keith Mitchell said: “The recession adds to the pressure to increase footfall in the city. The key to much of this is for the two main bus companies to implement joint ticketing.”