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Help combat the cost-of-living crisis by using the bus
28/06/2022
Savings of £3,740 could be made by switching weekday travel between Banbury and Oxford from the car to the bus
A new campaign has been launched to encourage us to use Oxfordshire’s buses to help combat the cost-of-living crisis. People commuting between Banbury and Oxford on a daily basis could save £3,740 each year by dumping the car in favour of the S4 service.
As the price of fuel hits record highs, the campaign targets both commuters and leisure travellers who it says can make significant savings by swapping using private vehicles for buses.
The campaign is led by Oxfordshire County Council in partnership with Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and Stagecoach.
At the moment the cost of filling up a family car with a 55-litre tank is more than £100, on average. Fresh data collated by bus operators has revealed savings which can be made on the trips alone, with outgoings reduced by £3,740 for those switching 5-days-a-week from their car to Stagecoach’s S4 service.
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management, said: “We are committed to ensuring that the bus is a reliable, affordable alternative to the car. That’s more important now than ever as we face this cost of living crisis.
“This council is doing everything in our power to make buses a success. We’re working with the operators to improve punctuality and to make public transport the most attractive and affordable option for getting around the county.”
Bus passenger levels are currently running at between 75 and 80 per cent of pre-COVID levels.
Last week Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet approved a draft enhanced partnership which sets out plans to help bring passenger levels back to pre-pandemic levels. They are looking for government funding of £12.7m to deliver measures such as cheaper fares for under-19s, new rural services, bus priority improvements and traffic filters to reduce journey times.
The county council says that without improvements and action, including government financial support, services may have to be reviewed later this year.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
Edward Horton On 28/06/2022 at 3:58 pm
Sounds good. BUT. It takes one hour and twenty minutes to get from Banbury to Oxford – so there and back is pretty much three hours a day on a bus.
Plus, wherever you live you have to get to a bus stop somewhere along the route. If you can do that by bus, it’s another half an hour there and back on a bus and at least £3 a day fare on top of the Banbury to Oxford cost. Maybe the same at the other end because not many jobs in Oxford are within walking distance of a Banbury/Oxford bus stop. So that’s yet another half hour on a bus and another £3 fare.
So we’re four hours on a bus five days a week.
If like me you live in a village without a bus service you’ve got to drive to a bus stop and either pay to park or leave the car somewhere such as Deddington Market Place. Whatever, petrol costs are involved.
Given all that, driving there and back is quicker, more comfortable, less hassle, and overall not that much cheaper.
It’s a bit like HS2. If you’ve got to spend longer getting to an HS2 station, you’re not going to save much time overall.
Hall Vicky On 28/06/2022 at 6:16 pm
I’m hoping that if bus services are to be improved, Oxford County Council will be saving the 200 bus service that is due to be axed in August, potentially cutting off multiple villages that don’t have any facilities.
Charlotte On 28/06/2022 at 9:20 pm
Those calculations don’t seem right. If you spent a tenner a day on petrol, £300 on a park and ride season ticket, and a £535 bus season ticket, you’d still only be spending £3300 a year to go by car.