Better bus services will be starting up in Oxford from 23 February – and Labour County Councillors are glad to see their campaigning has been delivering real change for residents. But we won’t stop there. We want to put local people before profit, with better buses all around.
The Labour Government has nearly doubled bus funding for Oxfordshire to over £9 million. Labour will keep pushing the Lib Dems and Greens running the County Council to use this money and bring bus services in-house. This would give us the power to control fares, routes, and timetables across the whole county.
From 23 February 2025, residents across East and South Oxford will benefit from better buses, which Labour has been campaigning for:
- The 3/3A bus routes will double in frequency to every 15 minutes, 6 days a week, making it easier to get to the city centre.
- The 5A bus route will be an express service to Templars Square, going through Crowell Road to help Littlemore residents get around.
- A new 600 bus route to the Churchill and John Radcliffe Hospitals will run from Redbridge Park & Ride to Thornhill Park & Ride, linking Littlemore, Cowley, Blackbird Leys, and Wood Farm.
Labour launched a Better Buses survey in October 2024 to hear from residents living in the OX4 postcode as a starting point.
“Almost half of those who responded to our survey told us they found it difficult to get to local hospitals. The new 600 bus route is a huge step in the right direction, but it’s clear that residents need more.” says Charlie Hicks, County Councillor for Cowley. “Almost a third of responders told us they struggle to get to Oxford train station. Many more complained about the prices and ticketing systems – as well as reliability, frequency, and integration across bus services. There’s a lot more work to be done.”
Labour wants to put local people before profit. We have been pushing the Lib Dems and Greens in charge of the County Council to listen to residents and take our buses back under public control. Introducing a franchising system like in London and Greater Manchester would give the County Council powers over routes, fares, and timetables – meaning an end to complicated pricing systems, buses coming all at once or not at all, and decision-making based on profitability over local needs.
Labour will keep campaigning for more improvements, such as:
- The 3/3A bus routes going all the way to the train station, serving residents living near the Iffley Road. Sign the petition here: www.change.org/BusToOxfordTrainStation
- A new network of minibuses to connect communities, serving the Greater Leys, Herschel Crescent in Littlemore, and Cowley Centre on the original 46 bus route via Donnington Bridge. Sign the petition here: www.change.org/TemplarsSquareMinibuses
- Better buses all around, not just for East and South Oxford but also North Oxford, Marston, and Headington (where just two buses an hour serve the train station)
Brad Baines, County Councillor for Isis has been fighting for the 3/3A bus routes to reach the train station. “I know this is a source of deep frustration for Iffley Road residents, and it prevents our public transport network from being joined up and accessible. I have written to the operator Oxford Bus Company several times, and they have called this proposal ‘unprofitable’ due to traffic around the Plain Roundabout. But this doesn’t explain why the 1 and 5 bus routes on the Cowley Road still serve the station. That’s not good enough.”
Trish Elphinstone, County Councillor for Rose Hill & Littlemore will keep pushing for even better services after the recent announcements. “The new 600 service and increased 3A service are good news for Littlemore. But so many North Littlemore residents tell me that they are struggling to get around without a bus on Herschel Crescent – I’ve been calling for a new minibus to fill that gap.”
Imade Edosomwan, County Councillor for the Leys has been calling for a similar solution for the Greater Leys. “Since the County Council moved the 3A bus route to Grenoble Road, many Leys residents have been telling me that they feel isolated. I’ll keep pushing for a safe crossing of this dangerous 40mph road and a replacement minibus on the original route.”
—ENDS—
NOTES FOR EDITORS:
Cllr Charlie Hicks is available for interviews. Contact directly on: 07971 018 169
Better Buses for East and South Oxford survey
- Oxford Labour launched its Better Buses for East and South Oxford survey in October 2024. To date we have received 120 responses. 100 of the 120 respondents told us they were based in the OX4 postcode.
- https://www.oxfordlabour.org.uk/oxford-labour-launches-better-buses-survey/
Feasibility study funding for bus franchising in Oxfordshire
- Labour County Councillors got an extra £150,000 to the County Council’s 2024-25 budget for a feasibility and implementation strategy for bringing buses back under public control via a franchising system.
- https://www.oxfordlabour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/233/2024/02/Oxfordshire-Labour-budget-amendment-2024_25-press-release-1-1.pdf
Petitions
- Extend the 3/3A bus route to Oxford train station – www.change.org/BusToOxfordTrainStation
- Introduce a network of minibuses across East and South Oxford – www.change.org/TemplarsSquareMinibuses