Oxfordshire County Council's proposed cuts to bus subsidies

Mon 21 Dec 2015, 09:38

Thank you - will be in touch!

Sun 20 Dec 2015, 15:14

I happy to help" we need to save our bus. Do we have permission from coop.

Sun 20 Dec 2015, 01:40

I'll help after Christmas. Let me know when

Thu 17 Dec 2015, 08:32

If anyone would like to help with getting signatures on the petition by standing at the Co-op or at the bus stop, or doing same in Chipping Norton, I would be very grateful. You can download it from the Lib Dem website (www.witney-libdems.org.uk). The next County Council meeting is in February, so we have time to collect more signatures. The decision will be taken at that meeting. I intend to get time to speak there to explain why this would be so damaging to rural areas of the county. Not all bus services are potentially affected - it is mainly country routes like the X9. We have a copy of the petition in Finstock which has been filled out by the majority of residents and I agree the more we can get the better - so let me know if you want to help.

Tue 15 Dec 2015, 19:34 (last edited on Tue 15 Dec 2015, 19:36)

Tue 15 Dec 2015, 18:34

Pearl,
Thanks for your comments, but I think you missed my point.

Mon 14 Dec 2015, 21:03 (last edited on Mon 14 Dec 2015, 21:05)

Maggie if you read Liz Leffman's posts in this thread you will see there are already petitions you can sign at Post Office and on-line.

Mon 14 Dec 2015, 19:12

Is there any way more attention could be brought to this around Charlbury? Not everyone uses this forum and I wasn't aware of the acute nature of this problem before now. Making people aware on notice boards and a clipboard signing campaign outside the coop maybe? I'm just thinking off the top of my head, but it seems we do need general support from the whole of Charlbury.

Sat 12 Dec 2015, 20:35

oxford county council are cutting subsidies and services using the excuse that they are non essential services .This is the part that has to be proved otherwise . These small bus services and the subsidies they receive are part of the capillaries of the transport services in this country linking…

Long post - click to read full text

Sat 28 Nov 2015, 21:23

Perhaps the County Council should learn from past mistakes.

In the 1990s, when I lived in Goring, the Council were busy wasting money sending out increased Council tax bills despite being told by central Government that such increases would not be allowed. Thwarted, OCC cut the bus service from Goring to Wallingford [a reasonable parallel to Charlbury/Chippy] from a six day hourly service to a 2 hourly one. Passenger numbers fell, and the service was subsequently reduced to 2 or 3 days a week. Not long afterwards OCC funded a very substantial six figure sum - far bigger than the original bus subsidy - as part of an initiative to regenerate Wallingford's economy. The official reason was the development of Didcot had adversely affected trade in the town, but the loss of bus services was obviously a contributory factor. The 6 day hourly bus service was restored, but is now again under threat.

In the meantime OCC spend £5.8m on the Frideswide Square development and build bus bays too small for buses...

Fri 27 Nov 2015, 23:50

I would be happy to pay. No use in having a pass if there are no buses to use it on.

Fri 27 Nov 2015, 23:28

I wonder how many of those 250 signatories actually use the bus? Pulhams get paid £83,000 subsidy per year to run the X9. As I understand it the February council meeting will ratify the decision taken by cabinet this month, unless savings are made elsewhere in the council. That's unlikely given the pressure on statutory duties like social care.

Maybe the communities along the route can join forces and agree what the basic requirement ought to be - two-hourly, peak or off peak etc. and consider if all passengers should pay a reasonable fare to travel. For each concessionary pass accepted, Pulhams get less than half the actual fare so the service will never be viable unless it costs less to run the bus or fares increase, or a mix of both.

Tue 24 Nov 2015, 16:38

@Charlie M - I think you just need to make an appointment via the office in Witney (that's what I did a couple of years ago).

Sat 21 Nov 2015, 13:06

We've got about 250 signatures online and at the post office so far - thanks to all who have signed and please do sign if you haven't yet, as the more we get, the more impact we can make.

Thu 19 Nov 2015, 18:48

May be we can use the private jet for trip to Witney and Oxford. Bring your own champers:)

Thu 19 Nov 2015, 12:09

You couldn't make it up!

Thu 19 Nov 2015, 10:16

How ironic that our MP can find £10M for a private jet but not the money to keep a much needed bus service in his constituency running.

Wed 18 Nov 2015, 17:54

You have got till January 31st - the meeting at which the decision will be taken is in February - but don't delay or you may forget over Christmas!

Wed 18 Nov 2015, 15:32

How long have we got?

Wed 18 Nov 2015, 12:23

Please Please sign the Petition, it would also mean people could not come to charlbury to shop or for Farmers market from places like finstock and others. also it mean our events like beer festival would suffer.

Tue 17 Nov 2015, 19:03

The Petition can also be signed at the Post Office if you know anyone who does not go on line please direct them to the Post Office .

Tue 17 Nov 2015, 15:46

Can everyone please sign this petition. So far there are only 120 signatures. I am sure that everyone in Charlbury can sign this to help keep our buses. If we don't manage to keep our buses, we will be cut off from Witney and so will other communities and it will have an effect on Witney itself. witney-libdems.org.uk/en/petition/save-our-bus-services

Tue 17 Nov 2015, 15:17

Russell, that's no way to talk about the leader of Her Majesty's opposition, even if you don't agree with all his policies....

Tue 17 Nov 2015, 12:56

Pehaps he could sort out that rat too!

Tue 17 Nov 2015, 09:18

I would imagine that he has been rather busy , with security issues and foiling 7 terror attacks along with recruiting the reported 2000 additional people to keep us safe. He may need to tidy up his garden , and smooth the tank tracks to his lawn left by Mrs Westwood .

Sat 14 Nov 2015, 11:15

How does one get to see our MP? Or is he too "yellow" to hold surgeries, now that he is Prime Minister? And does one have to speak to loads of monkeys before you get to speak to the (so-called) organ grinder (no pun intended)?

Fri 13 Nov 2015, 11:40

The Day Centre is under threat from these cuts as well....

Fri 13 Nov 2015, 11:16

It would be nice to think that our MP would support opposition to these cuts. But he has proved time and time again that he has absolutely no interest in the common people. Next election, let's elect someone who actually gives a damn ... :-\

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 17:47

A LEGAL challenge could be launched against a decision to axe subsidies for bus routes in Oxfordshire: www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/14024786.Legal_challenge_planned_to_halt_bus_subsidies_axe/

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 16:00

Perhaps OCC should get rid of some of fluff and froth they do to justify their existence, like the PR, publications and bureaucrats pandering to pressure groups. They used to have roles such as "social inclusion officers", when challenged no one could adequately explain their roles or benefits such things bring to the community at large.

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 13:20

We'eve all got bus passes you would have to get the money from the administration.

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 09:35

Nick - it's shocking. Our MP/PM can't stand the effects of his government's policies as implemented by his own party locally. Hello, hello - anyone at home?

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 09:31

Hi Leah, I have a trailer but it'd be a bit bumpy over the tree roots. Age is not a barrier to cycling, though of course health can be sometimes.

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 09:03

James - thanks for the link to the Guardian article - says it all, doesn't it?

Thu 12 Nov 2015, 07:32

Perhaps you could take elderly passengers pillion James

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 22:50

I would be happy to pay for the bus to Witney if it meant we could keep it. No point in having a concessionary bus pass if there are no buses to use it on!

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 20:23

Nigel at al, for trips to Stonesfield and back, I can recommend cycling along the bridleway that starts just up the gravel track from the sharp bend in Woodstock Rd. It's only 15 minutes each way. A bit scary on your own late at night, mind.

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 20:10

I have signed and shared on Facebook
witney-libdems.org.uk/en/petition/save-our-bus-services

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 18:09

I travelled on the S3 from Stonesfield to Charlbury at 5.15 yesterday. Apparently the S3 is well used from Oxford to Yarnton or even Woodstock, a few get off in Stonesfield but even in the rush hour it is nearly empty when it gets to Charlbury. We are lucky to have the S3 come to Charlbury rather than just to Chipping Norton.

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 17:40

As noted in the News item, the S3 stagecoach service to Oxford is not subsidised.

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 17:35

I took a bus to Stonesfield yesterday. It cost £2.40 was that subsidised? It seemed rather expensive - about a pound per mile. In addition I was the only passenger on the whole of the double decker bus, at least to Stonesfield. It can't be cost effective for the bus company without subsidies, surely?

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 15:13

Charlbury town councillors have attended presentations by OCC leader and others to explain the cuts they will be making and that they can prioritise only the young and the elderly where they have statutory responsibilities. The town council, like other parish councils, is now starting a review of how it may be able to deliver services which we currently take for granted, using members of the community, town council precept and perhaps other paid for services in order to maintain standards.

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 12:24

There is a hard copy of OCC Budget saving Options 2016/17 Consultation in the Corner House It can be accessed online at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/public-site/budget-201617, where comments can be lodged (deadline 30th Nov) against 95 'saving' options under the various headings: Adult Social Care, Children, Education and Families, Corporate Services, Environment and Economy, Fire and Rescue & Trading Standards, Libraries and Cultural Services and of course raising Council Tax, which would require a referendum costing £800k if more than 2% (OCC assumption is 3% rise).

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 11:31 (last edited on Wed 11 Nov 2015, 11:32)

Petition now up at www.witney-libdems.org.uk If you want to collect signatures you can download a form from the website.

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 11:19

This is relevant and interesting, worth reading in full (I have quoted the first two paragraphs):
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/11/david-cameron-letter-cuts-oxfordshire
"In leaked correspondence with the Conservative leader of Oxfordshire county council (which covers his own constituency), David Cameron expresses his horror at the cuts being made to local services. This is the point at which you realise that he has no conception of what he has done.
The letters were sent in September, but came to light only on Friday, when they were revealed by the Oxford Mail. The national media has been remarkably slow to pick the story up, given the insight it offers into the prime minister's detachment from the consequences of his actions."

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 10:18

Andy and I are going to be putting together a petition to go to the County Council meeting in February, when the final decision will be taken. The petition will ask OCC to give consideration to the effects of a total cut to subsidies on rural routes. They might be persuaded to reduce the cuts - that is still an option. I hope to have that at the post office and also up on line by the end of today, or if not then definitely tomorrow

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 09:12

Try to persuade Pulham's (or someone else) that it is worth running commercially. I don't use the bus much at all, but because Pulham's feel a 30ish seater is sufficient for the loadings, and that I suspect many of its customers are on concessionary passes, it won't prove to be viable in its current form. Maybe a two hourly service using one bus might be an option.

Wed 11 Nov 2015, 08:41

How do we save our bus to witney and Chipping norton.