Passengers have had their say in our recent consultation regarding routes 100/200/X1. During January 2008 we sought your views on our proposed timetable changes for 30th March 2008, and we have received many replies. The following gives an overview of our response to your suggestions. Some have been incorporated into our plans, but there were a few that we were unable to meet.

The finalised timetable can be downloaded here.

We have received several comments about the cleanliness of bus windows, particularly during the winter. We are currently working on plans to allow us to wash each vehicle more often with a minimum target of once every 24 hours.

We will be replacing the existing single deckers currently used on route 200/X1 with modern fully accessible low floor double deckers.

We have no plans to replace the ticket machines on our vehicles in the near future. The existing system is reasonably reliable, and more modern technology wouldn’t allow us to offer anything greatly different to what we currently offer, but would increase the cost of operation. Those asking for the introduction of through tickets to London – these already exist and cost just £1 more than the standard Oxford Tube fare. Just ask the driver for a Londoner ticket.

We have had several requests for the provision of real time departure information at certain stops, or notification at stops if a journey is running late.

We are planning to fit our vehicles on route 100/200/X1 with satellite tracking equipment so that the routes can be added to Oxfordshire County Council’s real time information system. Oxfordshire County Council’s website and text message systems will give predictions for every stop, whilst the Council hope to be able to install displays at selected stops at some point in the future.

Most of the requests we received were asking for more buses at peak times. Unfortunately the current level of patronage does not justify the addition of any extra vehicles to the fleet, meaning that whatever we do has to be provided using our existing resources. The one big bonus is that we will be replacing the single deckers on the 200/X1 with double deckers, providing extra seats for busy journeys.

Many people have asked why there is a lack of buses on route 200 during the peak periods. This is because the buses operate route X1 instead, allowing faster journeys for those living in Carterton. Route 100 offers a very frequent alternative service to Witney, and journey times via the Toll Bridge and Eynsham tend not to be much longer than those sitting in the rush hour traffic on the A40.

We will however be making some changes to the timetable to help address concerns over links from North Oxford to Witney. The 1635 X1 will now run via Witney as a 200, and the 1755 X1 will be replaced by a 200 at 1805, helping to close the gap between direct departures and improve reliability. In addition two buses heading into Oxford on route 200 to run departures on route 100 to Witney at 1715 and 1745 will allow passengers to travel through from Woodstock Road without changing buses.

All Monday - Friday evening journeys on route 200 from Oxford will also continue through to Carterton instead of some that currently finish at Witney.

Most people were keen that route X1 continued to run as an express service into Oxford, however some people were concerned over the ability to access certain locations on Woodstock Road that aren’t near to the designated bus stops. Therefore we are going to change the arrangements slightly so that journeys towards Oxford will drop off at any stop along Woodstock Road (but not stop to pick up), and the service from Oxford will stop to pick up at any stop.

We understand how important the X1 service is to the residents of Carterton, however we have not been able to avoid making a slight reduction to the number of journeys because essentially they by-pass a large proportion of our potential passengers. The more people a bus carries the lower we can keep the fares.

The 0755 and 0820 X1 from Carterton to Witney will be merged into a single departure at 0800. We did receive several requests to leave them as they are, but the double deckers will easily be able to accommodate everybody from both departures. The new journey is scheduled to arrive in Oxford by 0855, which is better for most commuters than the 0905 arrival on the current 0820. The arrivals in Oxford will therefore be 0815, 0835 and 0855.

We do not propose to add another journey into the gap from 0800 to 0845 because demand for journeys arriving in Oxford between 0855 and 0930 is much less than earlier in the morning.

In the evening the 1635 and 1755 X1s will be replaced by 200s at 1635 and 1805, but the good news is that there will also be a new route 200 journey through to Carterton at 1905 for those working later.

Stagecoach does not provide a local service along Woodstock Road so the 200 (and 20) must continue to pick up at all stops. The perception that there are plenty of other buses that passengers along Woodstock Road can catch is not necessarily correct.

Following some suggestions, every other bus on route 100 will continue to Carterton during the evening peak, increasing the total number of departures.

We haven’t however been able to add an additional journey from Witney to Oxford between 0805 and 0825 as most of the fleet is already on the way to Oxford, and the likely arrival time post 0900 would not suit most commuters.

One suggestion was that a separate school bus should be created for the children travelling from Oxford to St. Barts school in Eynsham. The problem with this is that it is more efficient to use a single bus to cater for everybody’s needs – at the end of the day this is what makes a successful bus service.

We have also had requests for faster journey times, but the current levels of traffic congestion prevent this from becoming a reality. Meanwhile serving every stop along the route means that delays caused the number of passengers are at least averaged across as many journeys as possible.

Some comments and suggestions have been made about the level of service between Witney and Carterton. When the A40 causes problems we understand that this then has a knock on effect on passengers waiting for buses in Witney.

We are building some additional time into the new schedules to help improve the reliability of the peak departures from Witney. We will also be adding several additional journeys in the evening to help reduce waiting times.

• The current 1605 route 200 will be replaced by a journey at 1610
• The current 1640 route 100 will be replaced by journeys at 1625 and 1655.
• The current 1710 route 200 will be replaced by a journey at 1720.
• The current 1729 route 100 will be replaced by a journey at 1730.
• The current 1801 route 100 will be replaced by journeys at 1751 and 1811.
• The current 1831 route 100 will operate at 1831 as present.
• The current 1850 route 200 will be replaced by journeys at 1845, 1905 and 1935.
• The current 1907 and 1942 route 100 will operate at 1907 and 1942 as present.

There were a couple of responses asking for a common departure point for the 100 and 200, allowing passengers to choose which bus to catch more easily. We have been trying to find a solution to this for some time, but we are limited by the space available in the City Centre and the amount of time it takes buses to reach alternative locations. Unfortunately there is not enough space in Gloucester Green bus station to move the daytime departures on the 100 there.

In December 2006 we introduced a new stop for the 200 at stop B2 at top of George Street, almost opposite the stop for the 100. For the moment this is the closest that we can achieve to a common departure point.

During the roadworks in George Street in 2006 we carried out surveys to assess whether passengers preferred the temporary arrangements in New Road, but the result came out in favour of George Street.

• GoldRider tickets – we haven't been able to reduce the price of these tickets. They already provide a substantial discount on normal single and return fares, and the price has not been increased for 18 months. The number of passengers in Eynsham and the distance from Oxford allows Eynsham to be included in the cheaper MegaRider Plus area.
• We've not asked the driver with a beard to give it a trim
• Giving change – in the event that our drivers run out of change they are able to issue change vouchers which can be redeemed for cash on any Stagecoach in Oxfordshire bus, or from our Travel Shop. Therefore a lack of change should never be an issue, although everybody appreciates it if you can have the exact amount ready because it helps to speed up boarding.

• Relocation of the bus stop at the Evenlode for the Petrol Station / Tesco
• The location of the bus stop opposite Jubilee Way
• Subsidy for a direct service to the JR Hospital
• Subsidy for more buses between Cheltenham, Gloucester and Witney/Oxford.
• Subsidy for a through service from Oxford to Burford and Milton
• Subsidy for an evening service on route 200
• Bus shelters at more bus stops in Carterton
• Improved access to the bus stop for Brize Norton on route 200 (in progress)
• Progress update on the installation of bus lanes on the A40