A BUS company has announced more regular services linking Wolvercote and Oxford after parking restrictions were introduced in the village.

Oxford Bus Company had raised concerns that large numbers of parked cars were hampering its City6 service via Marston Ferry Road and Woodstock Road.

In response Oxfordshire County Council has said it will extend double yellow lines to parts of Elmthorpe Road and Rowland Close and near Jacob’s Inn, close to junctions.

As a result, the bus company has said its buses will service the route every 10 minutes instead of every quarter of an hour during weekdays from 9.30am to 3.30pm.

Operations director Phil Southall said: “We are grateful for the support we’ve been given in sorting out the parking issues.

“We’ve decided to say thank you by putting on these extra buses.

“We have spare resources available during the day and we want to see if this will encourage more people to travel by bus.”

The changes were welcomed by county councillor for Wolvercote Jean Fooks, who campaigned to have the yellow lines extended.

They followed months of wrangling, with the original planned length of some lines cut at Elm-thorpe Road and near Wolvercote Common after residents feared they would affect their parking.

Mrs Fooks said: “It’s very good news for Wolvercote and also people living near Woodstock Road, which is not well served by buses.

“People will be pleased to have one that is more frequent.

“I hope the county council will get the new yellow lines in place as soon as possible so cars do not continue to hold the buses up.

“The bus drivers are very good, but sometimes even for them the roads are simply impossible.

“With the new Northern Gateway development to come it is vital that we keep the bus running at a frequency which will encourage people to use it.”

Following the approval of the changes in July by county council cabinet member for transport David Nimmo Smith, the authority is also set to take a closer look at parking near Jacobs Inn.

Concerns remain that yellow lines have been placed on a side of the road with no pavement, leading to cars parking on the other side which has a pavement.

The council pledged in July to look at the issue.

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