Oxfordshire County Council is planning a huge pedestrianisation scheme for Central Oxford, called Transform Oxford.

This sounds like a great idea - some aspects of it are - but there is a huge downside for bus users, in the final phase of the plan. Believe or not, they want to stop all bus services from East Oxford at The Plain, and make you change to a bendy bus to reach the City Centre.

THe County’s presentation [without mention of bus cuts of course] is here:

http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wps/portal/publicsite/councilservices?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=http://apps.oxfordshire.gov.uk/wps/wcm/connect/Internet/Council+services/Roads+and+transport/Major+projects/Transform+Oxford/

LONGER JOURNEYS, MORE CHANGES

That’s right - your journey to work, to the shops or to the station will be longer and with one more change. If you now have a direct journey, you will have to change once. If you have to change once you will have to change twice, and so on.

You need to be VERY CONCERNED if you use the bus to travel into the City Centre from:

- Marston
- Headington
- Barton
- Risinghurst
- Cowley
- Cowley Road
- Blackbird Leys
- Rose Hill
- Iffley Road
- Littlemore
- and many, many more!

Cutting so many services is like having a Beeching Plan for buses!

BUT IT ISN’T TOO LATE!

This final phase of the plan is not due until 2013, so there is plenty of time to make your views known and change the County’s Plans.

WHAT CAN I DO?

1. Call or write to your County Councillor:
http://www.writetothem.com/

2. Call or write to your MP:
http://www.writetothem.com/

3. Watch this space!

We will be starting a campaign to save Oxford’s bus services, and will post more details here soon.