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Wardington and Chipping Warden lose buses as 200 service axed
22/02/2022
“If you’ve got a car you’re fine, but that is the only way people can get out and about from here”
Stagecoach is axing the only bus route that serves Wardington, Chipping Warden and other places between Banbury and Daventry on the A361. The loss making hourly 200 service will cease from Sunday 4th April.
The company says the decision has been made as the route doesn’t cover its costs and passenger numbers are just a fraction of what they were before the pandemic. A request for financial support for the route from local authorities was unsuccessful.
Villagers who rely on the route are coming to terms with the news. Malcolm Patterson is the Chair of Wardington Parish Council. He said: “Its an absolute disaster. Its very important for older people and people who can’t drive, but also for working people coming to and from work.
“If you’ve got a car you’re fine, but that is the only way people can get out and about from here.
“We’ve got no shops in Wardington and people need to be able to get to Banbury and further afield as well. For us its a vital route.”
The 200 service currently runs between Daventry and Banbury, calling at Badby, Charwelton, Byfield, Woodford Halse, Hinton, Aston le Walls, Chipping Warden, Wardington, and Williamscot. In Banbury the route also takes in stops in Grimsbury at Stroud Park, Priory Vale Road, Tesco and the Co-op.
A spokesperson for Stagecoach West told Banbury FM: “We will no longer be running our Service 200 between Banbury and Daventry from Sunday 4th April.
“The service hasn’t covered its operating costs for several years, and these financial challenges have worsened in recent years with passenger levels now at less than 75% of pre-Covid levels.
“The service is run on an entirely commercial basis, without any local authority support. We have approached the councils, but they are unable to provide any support to keep this service running.
“This is a difficult decision to make because we know the impact it will have on individual people, but unfortunately without funding, our only option is to withdraw the service.”
Mr Patterson can understand the financial argument, but feels the decision goes against moves to encourage less use of cars and more use of public transport. He said: “It seems to me in the way policies are going it really ought to be something that is sustained, not abandoned at this point”.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
French Ian On 22/02/2022 at 1:31 pm
I think is really bad that people wont be able to get from banbury to daventry and back
Unless they can drive and also councils want people to use public transport rather than cars so that’s goes against there plan so surely the councils should do something or subsidise the service as we all pay enough council tax etc
Nigel Smilie On 22/02/2022 at 3:07 pm
Shocking, people need it for work!
Julie Murray On 22/02/2022 at 6:21 pm
I live in Wardington and I don’t drive. The 200 is the only way I can get into Banbury and for my hospital regular hospital appointments in Oxford. This is devastating for me
Corrie On 23/02/2022 at 10:06 am
People use this to get to work, appointments, school, college and to get there shopping or even seeing family and friends. It’s disgusting basically if you can’t drive your stuck where you live. Something else needs to be put in place .
Pat On 24/02/2022 at 9:01 pm
Pat absolutely devastating feel as if we have been abandoned