BUS companies are to sign a groundbreaking deal that will cut the numbers of buses in central Oxford by a quarter, paving the way for the pedestrianisation of the city centre.

More than £10m will be invested in a fleet of low- emission double-decker buses, with the city’s main bus companies to introduce joint ticketing and joint timetabling.

And the new bus network comes with the promise of improved services, while cutting by hundreds the number of buses travelling on the High Street and other historic roads.

A new era in local public transport is being brought about by an historic partnership between the Oxford Bus Company, Stagecoach and Oxfordshire County Council, it is claimed today.

The deal is the first of its kind in the UK, using new powers under the Local Transport Act 2008, designed to allow councils and bus operators to work closely together to provide co-ordinated services.

The legislation is viewed as a key tool to enable councils to combat the clogging up of roads by buses, brought about by intense competition following deregulation in the 1980s.

The voluntary agreement follows months of negotiation between County Hall and the city’s two main bus operators, with all sides claiming the partnership will provide a greener, more efficient service on the main routes into the city.

Bus users in Oxford are being promised 46 new double-deckers that will be among the most environmentally advan-ced in Europe.

The Oxford Bus Company will withdraw 34 buses in its 90-strong fleet, replacing them with 20 new vehicles.

Stagecoach, which is to withdraw 35 of its buses, will acquire 26 new ones. The firm has 82 buses at its city depot.

Another key element of the scheme will be the introduction of a £2m multi-operator smartcard ticketing system.

The technology is expected to speed up boarding, allowing passengers to use either company’s buses.

Philip Kirk, managing director of The Oxford Bus Company, said: “This will give the city the most modern and high tech bus fleet in Europe.”

He said the new joint services would be “high-frequency” and would cover London Road, Cowley Road, Iffley Road and Banbury Road.

The operators hope the new bus network will be running by the autumn, with some legal issues still to be resolved.