AT LEAST 50 bus services in Oxfordshire are to be axed in July and campaigners fear the number could still rise.

Stagecoach today confirmed it would close 11 of its services but said 11 others under-threat would continue unchanged or with different timetables. 

The announcement came after Thames Travel – the other biggest rural operator – said it would close 13 of its routes and keep 14 going, with smaller providers set to close a further 28. 

Companies said it was due to the loss of subsidies from Oxfordshire County Council, which axed the payments towards 118 services to save £3.7m a year.

Council leader Ian Hudspeth said the local authority was working with bus companies to "minimise the impact on local communities".

He added a pilot scheme to use county council buses for a door-to-door service was expected to launch before July 20 and this would compensate for the loss of routes in some areas.

But Hugh Jaeger, chairman of Bus Users Oxford, said although many routes were set to continue in some form he was concerned many would not survive. 

Oxford Mail:

  • Hugh Jaeger, chairman of Bus Users Oxford, still has concerns.

He said: "We welcome the efforts of businesses to save as many routes as possible. 

"But our fear is, with a number of routes across Oxfordshire, that in nine to 18 months' time they will end up saying they tried their best but are still losing money.

"Many of the services saved in July may not survive."

The county council said today it was still due to hear from Vale Travel and Whites Coaches about another nine services. It is in discussions about a further three that it runs itself in Wallingford and Headington.

Overall about 50 services are due to continue in some form. The 22 and 23, ran by Thames Travel in Bicester, will continue for an unconfirmed period while discussions go on.

But despite the good news for some bus users, those affected by closures yesterday warned it would have "a devastating affect".

In North Oxford, Stagecoach's number 17 runs from Cutteslowe to the city centre, as well as Marston and the John Radcliffe Hospital in the evenings. 

After July, it will just run between Jericho and the city centre at off-peak times.

Former engineer Peter Goodgame, of Templar Road, said the change would leave many elderly people in North Oxford stranded in their homes.

Oxford Mail:

  • The 17 service is one of many across Oxfordshire set to be reduced.

The 72-year-old, who cannot walk without crutches due to back problems, added: "It will have a devastating effect on a lot of us.

"For a lot of people around here, walking to Banbury Road is too far. People are going to go hungry."

Jean Fooks, county councillor for Wolvercote and Summertown, added: "Some people have said to me that because of this change you might as well lock their door and throw away the key."

In a statement this morning, Stagecoach Oxfordshire managing director Martin Sutton said: "Following the disappointing news that the Oxfordshire County Council was ending its contracts for non-commercial  bus services in Oxfordshire, we wanted to do everything we could to support our passengers, and avoid their day-to-day lives being affected.  

“We regret that we are unable to provide alternatives on contracted routes where  income from  fare paying passengers is too low to meet running costs."

County council spokeswoman Emily Reed said 91 per cent of bus services in Oxfordshire did not require subsidies and would be unaffected.

BUS ROUTES CLOSING IN JULY (ALL OPERATORS INC):

8 Bicester - Silverstone
17 Cutteslowe - Oxford
18 Clanfield - Oxford
24 Bicester (circular)
25 Kidlington/Oxford - Bicester
33 Wychwoods - Burford
37 Bicester - Finmere
42 North Abingdon via college
43 Abingdon - Eaton (Oxon)
43 North Abingdon Town
44 Oxford - Abingdon
46 Drayton St Leonard - Abingdon
63 Oxford - Southmoor
85 Iffley - Cowley
86 Lye Valley - Cowley
89 The Baldons - Cowley
90 Hungerford - Swindon 
90 Banbury - Upper Heyford
95 Didcot - Blewbury - Didcot
97 Wallingford - Didcot
104 Oxford - Cuddesdon
125 Chalgrove - Wallingford
126 Wallingford - Wallingford
135 Wallingford - Goring
213 Witney (circular)
214 Witney (circular)
215 Witney (circular)
218 Wytham - Oxford
277 Lighthorne Heath - Banbury
504 Honton - Horley - Banbury
811 Salford (Oxon) - Cheltenham (Gloucs)
17A Oxford Station - JR Hospital (evenings)
17C Oxford Station - JR Hospital (Sundays)
44A Oxford - Abingdon
67A Wantage - Faringdon
67B Wantage - Faringdon
67C Wantage - Faringdon
81A Bicester - Somerton
A1 Didcot - Wantage - Didcot
B1 Easington - Banbury
B7 Grimsbury - Banbury
C1 Charlbury - Wychwoods
K3 Kidlington - Begbroke
M1 Watlington - Reading
T2 Oxford Science Park - Abingdon
T94 Oxford - Bicester
V1 Witney Market Sq (circular)
V14 West Oxfordshire 
V24 Upper Oddington - Witney
V24 West Oxfordshire
W10 Woodstock - Kidlington
W11 Woodstock - Bladon
W12 Woodstock - Wootton