A NEW bus service is set to launch, linking a town centre with its outskirts.

West Oxfordshire Community Transport (WOCT) has announced its Carterton Connector service will begin on March 2.

The service will link the north and south edges of the town with the centre, via two new routes – the 345 North Circular, and the 355 South Circular.

The Carterton Connector becomes the third route offered by WOCT, a not-for-profit co-operative formed in 2017.

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It follows Witney town services and the 210 service, which links Witney to the Wychwoods.

The two new Carterton routes, which are supported by Carterton Town Council, will begin at the Asda supermarket and will run hourly on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings.

The 345 route will depart on the hour from 9am to 1pm, and the 355 at 35 minutes past the hour from 9.35am to 12.35pm.

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WOCT director Margaret Burden said: “This service has been such a long time coming.

“After all the hard work put in by residents of the Carterton community and the support from Carterton Town Council, we are really excited that it is happening at last.

“Residents of Carterton – particularly those who do not have access to their own transport – will benefit from this route by linking them to essential services in Carterton town centre.

“We believe that a community where people are interconnected is a strong and healthy one, and bus services are one of the keys for helping this to happen.”

Carterton mayor Nick Leverton said: “The new bus service will increase the mobility of our residents and will enable them to access our wide range of local shops and amenities, such as the library, local support groups, places of worship and the health centre.”