A fleet of 13 double-decker buses have replaced single-deckers on Oxfordshire's roads.
The new buses, all Milton Park-branded, increase the capacity of services to the science and technology park based near Didcot.
It comes following a renewed partnership between Milton Park and Thames Travel and the adoption of a refreshed Local Development Order at Milton Park.
The order, enabled by a Section 106 planning agreement with Vale of White Horse District Council, encourages greener travel methods, with contributions towards public investment in bus services, new cycle and walking pathways, and road upgrades.
To celebrate the introduction of the double-deckers, people working at Milton Park were asked to name each vehicle by picking their favourite names beginning with ‘M’, and now, Mabel, Mungo, and more are on the road.
There are also frequent bus connections to Milton Park from Abingdon, Didcot, Wallingford, Wantage, and Henley, and fast services to Headington’s Life Sciences sector in Oxford.
Veronica Reynolds, sustainability and community manager at Milton Park, said: "We’re delighted to have renewed our partnership with Thames Travel, which has coincided with the reveal of our new-look double-decker buses.
"Newer double-decker buses will now be operating on the majority of routes to and from Milton Park, greatly enhancing the comfort of journeys for our occupiers."
Luke Marion, managing director of Thames Travel, added: "We’re thrilled to be continuing the partnership between Milton Park and Thames Travel, which has already proved a great benefit to park occupiers, visitors, and the public alike.
"We look forward to seeing the public making the most of the increased bus capacity, which we hope will lead to a further increase in sustainable travel to Milton Park this new year."
The renewed partnership with Thames Travel, first established in 2021, was driven by increased demand for bus travel to Milton Park and the success of its £20 annual employee bus pass.
The bus pass provides unlimited travel on all Thames Travel services in the Didcot Zone, including Didcot Parkway railway station and the Orchard Centre, as well as Drayton, Steventon, Sutton Courtenay, and Milton.
Milton Park's ongoing investment in sustainable transport has led to an 18 per cent increase in bus usage since the pandemic.
The park’s commitment to sustainable travel was recently recognised at the United Kingdom Science Park Association’s 40th anniversary conference, where it received an Environmental Sustainability Award thanks to its initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and maximise biodiversity.
