for £5m bus plan Thousands of Students and residents are set to benefit from a £5m range of bus services set up by Stagecoach and Oxford Brookes University.

The new services will link the university's three campuses in Harcourt Hill, Wheatley and Headington with each other, as well as the city centre, and Tesco at the Cowley Retail Park.

There will also be a new night bus up to 3.23am on Fridays and Saturdays from the city centre to the university campuses.

About 20,000 students and university staff will be able to buy a £75 annual pass covering all journeys within Oxford as part of the deal.

The university, which has underwritten the cost of the services for five years to the tune of £5m, introduced them as part of its green commuter plan.

Students living in university halls of residence are not allowed their own cars.

Jerry Greatorex, transport officer at Brookes, said the new services should mean that no student living in Oxford would need a car.

He said: "We've tried to reduce student spending on travel by harnessing the Stagecoach network. The new service should enable students to reduce their transport costs and the impact on the environment."

The services will operate on three routes:

U1 Wheatley, Headington, Brookes University, Carfax, Botley Road, Harcourt Hill

U2 Brookes University, Hollow Way (extending in the evening to Tesco)

U3 Carfax, Iffley Road, Cowley, Wood Farm, Brookes University (evenings only).

James Freeman, Stagecoach operations director, said: "In one fell swoop we can make a huge difference to the public's travel arrangements in Oxford."

For further information, call 01865 483175.