Scrapped Oxford bus routes saved, council says

Two scrapped bus routes will now be covered by another firm, a council has said.

Oxford Bus Company withdrew route 9 to Risinghurst and 13 to Northway, in the Oxford area, on Sunday.

But Oxfordshire County Council has announced both areas will now be served by Stagecoach’s new route 14.

Without the investment, the authority said “residents in areas of the city which rely most heavily on bus services might have been left without them”.

Councillor Andrew Gant added: “We are proud that our commitment to public transport is resulting in positive action for the people who need it.”

The new route will operate up to half-hourly to Northway and hourly to Risinghurst, seven days a week.

The main bus stops in the city centre for Risinghurst and Northway will be in George Street, rather than at the Westgate or St Aldates.

The council said Old Marston would see an increase in frequency of buses in the evenings and on Sundays, and there would be new links to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital and railway station.