A CAMPAIGN has been launched for a direct bus route between Witney and the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Residents say it can take up to two-and-a-half hours to make the journey from the town to the county’s main hospital.

With people either visiting family or friends or ill themselves, they said this was an unnecessary stress that justified a direct route.

But they also said the route would take cars off the heavily-congested A40 during rush hour, and pointed out that many hospital staff live in West Oxfordshire.

Oxfordshire County Council has ruled out subsidising the route, saying areas that do not have other public transport will get priority.

Currently Witney and Carterton residents have to get on the S1 or S2 and change in Oxford city centre to get to the John Radcliffe.

West Oxfordshire District Council Labour member Andrew Coles said: “People find visiting the JR a deeply stressful and anxious experience. That is made considerably worse by really long journeys in heavy traffic and having to use two different bus services.

“A direct bus service from West Oxfordshire would go a long way to making life easier for residents and respond to a much-needed gap in public transport provision.

“It would also hopefully encourage more people to leave their cars at home and alleviate the pressure and heavy congestion on the A40, and some of the parking shortfalls at the JR itself.

“Talking to people, there is quite high demand already.”

Mr Coles he hoped any bus service would travel from Carterton to Witney, Eynsham, Cassington and on to an Oxford park-and-ride centre before going to the JR.

He said that he and new Labour county councillor Laura Price had put the idea to bus company Stagecoach at a meeting last week.

Ms Price said: “Talking to people on the doorstep, it was one of the things everyone seemed to be really enthusiastic about.”

County council leader Ian Hudspeth said: “Obviously we would encourage bus operators to run as many services as possible.

“We understand that if the demand is not there it would have to be subsidised and, of course, bus subsidies are always under scrutiny.”

But he ruled out the county council subsidising a service from Witney to the John Radcliffe, saying: “It would be difficult to justify.”

He added: “We appreciate the difficulty getting from Carterton and Witney to the city centre, however there are very frequent services into the city centre and frequent services from the city centre to the JR.”

Dr Mark Widgery, a GP at Witney’s Deer Park Medical Centre, said: “The vast majority of hospital appointments that my patients go to are at the JR or the Churchill and for anyone who cannot drive and use the park and ride, it is an issue.

“A number of patients have commented that it can be really hard work, and I have had one or two patients in the last nine months who have just felt unable to do that and, as a result, have not gone to their appointments.”

Currently only Abingdon and Bicester have direct buses to the JR.

Stagecoach spokesman Robyn North said: “We are looking at opportunities, however, no decisions have yet been made.”