The joint statement by Oxford’s bus companies that they are prepared to work in a ‘quality partnership’ to achieve a 25 per cent cut in buses in High Street, joint ticketing arrangements and, effectively, a jointly planned timetable is a momentous one.

Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach say that if the county council were to work with them to achieve the partnership first, then the full pedestrianisation of Queen Street could be achieved two years earlier than planned.

There has been a perceived reluctance on the part of the bus companies to make the changes that would achieve a better city centre.

In a truly competitive environment, there are drawbacks for the main bus companies. Rerouting buses can lead to longer journeys and increased costs, and can deter potential passengers.

As the bus companies point out this week, one of the big drawbacks of the county council’s plan for a two-stage pedestrianisation of Queen Street is that it will put too much pressure on the new and existing stops that will replace those in Queen Street.

It was disappointing to see the rather limp response to these suggestions from county council leaders.

Our earlier reports suggested that the council had come round to the view that pursuing a quality bus partnership with the main operators was preferrable to having a shuttle bus service into the city centre from The Plain.

If that is the case, then the logic of the bus companies — that the partnership should be in place first before any changes are made — is inescapable. If that also means that the full pedestrianisation of Queen Street can be achieved by next year rather than by 2011/12, then it is an idea that needs to be taken very seriously.

The bus companies were not so keen to talk about George Street, which the county council is aiming to turn over to pedestrians by 2010. That is an issue that clearly needs to be resolved.

For the bus companies, one guesses there will be some benefits to a quality partnership. Under current arrangements, they cannot agree timetables and have difficulties with joint ticketing because of competition rules.

The partnership will allow them to do both of these. One guesses it will bring some efficiencies to the way they operate and potentially improve profitability.

At the same time, it should bring benefits to passengers. Joint ticketing is an obvious one. One ticket is better for getting around Oxford than potentially two. It also means that the companies can investigate the pre-purchase of tickets, reducing the need for cash exchanges on buses and speeding up boarding and travel times.

Joint timetabling could also bring benefits to passengers, reducing the likelihood that you wait for 20 minutes to find three buses appearing at the same time.

There is a clear opportunity for the bus companies and the county council to work together to improve life for Oxford’s bus passengers and to vastly improve the environment in Oxford’s historic High Street and its shopping centre. The county council should give serious consideration to the proposals put forward by the bus companies. If less haste can lead to a better and an earlier result for Oxford, then it must be worth a go.