COMMUTER complaints have prompted changes to the ticketing policy for train passengers going between the city centre and Oxford Parkway station by bus.

Oxford Bus Company’s 500 park-and-ride service bus had been adopted as a rail replacement service, which was supposed to be included in train tickets between the two stations.

When the station first opened in October, those with rail season tickets travelling to the new station at Water Eaton were being allowed to board any city centre stops.

But those with non-season train tickets were only being allowed to board the bus with their train ticket at Oxford Rail station.

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Unlike season ticket holders, if they got on at other stops in the city centre – including George Street, Magdalen Street and Keble Road – they were being charged the full park-and-ride fare of £2.60.

Commuter David Budden, who travels from Bicester each day to get to work at Oxford University Press in Great Clarendon Street, switched to cycling from the station to avoid the hassle.

Although coming into work he could get off at the stop nearest his offices heading back home he would have to walk to Oxford rail station to get the bus to Parkway.

He said before the switch: “Several passengers who have been stopped by the drivers and advised that they can’t use their tickets from that stop. There should be no reason why passengers can not get the 500 service from any of its designated stops along the route.

“Some people work three days a week, so a weekly or monthly ticket is not cost-effective, and I also know of people who work from home or shift patterns, meaning that some days a peak ticket is required and others off-peak, so they buy a daily return. This confusion over which tickets are accepted and which ones are not is ridiculous. Whoever negotiated this with Oxford Bus Company does not live in the real world.”

The system has now been changed so that all commuters travelling from the city to Oxford Parkway, whether or not they hold a season ticket, can board the 500 bus from all over the city.

Chiltern Railways spokeswoman Suzy Rigg said: “To assist commuters that work in the city We have an agreement with Oxford Bus Company that allows customers who hold a valid rail ticket to board at any point to get on or off at either Magdalen Street, George Street or Keble Road in the city centre. Before this was only the case for season ticket holders but owing to customer feedback we have changed this.”

She was not able to confirm when the change to they system had been made.