BUS passengers are celebrating after under- threat Witney services were reinstated.

Go Ride had announced it was scrapping its renamed W1, W1A, W2 and W3 and X10 from November 30, having taken on the services in June on a commercial basis.

Stagecoach, which ran the original services with a council subsidy prior to June, has stepped in and will reinstate the 213, 214 and 215 routes from next month.

But the X10 service from Chipping Norton to Witney will no longer run, with a mixture of other services instead covering the route.

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Oxfordshire County Council withdrew funding for the services at the request of Go Ride during an annual review of some routes in West Oxford- shire, saving £300,000 in total.

Stagecoach will now receive a council subsidy to resume the routes, though the amount has not been revealed.

Daphne Denton, 70, of Manor Road in Witney, said: “It couldn’t be better and everyone will be over the moon. I’d like them to make sure they have the same set-up as before, especially the 9.30am service because that was always popular. People were worried because it was coming up to winter and they don’t want to walk into town.”

Curbridge resident Steven Neill, who campaigned for the Stagecoach services to be reinstated in Witney, said: “It’s brilliant news. It covers all the main areas of Witney and is known as a reliable service.”

After Go Ride took over the service, passengers said the 16-seater buses were overcrowded and the firm had to call taxis because there was not enough room on some services. Some passengers then stopped using the service, complaining about lateness, broken doors and some drivers being unfriendly – and revenue dropped.

Go Ride announced last week it would stop running the services because they were “not commercially sustainable”.

Dave Harrison, director of the Abingdon-based not-for-profit company, said: “We offered to take the services off the subsidy books. Now it has not worked out the council has stepped in at very short notice to not only arrange these replacement services but also to fund them – a situation worthy of credit.”

The new services will begin on Monday, December 1.

Stagecoach will run the same routes and timetables as its former services, which serve the Smiths, Cogges and Madley Park housing estates.

To cover the X10 route, Pulhams Coaches will operate a shuttle service between Ascott-under-Wychwood and Burford, where it will connect with Stagecoach’s 233 service to and from Witney.

The Villager Community Bus Service will run one morning journey and lunchtime return service from Milton-under-Wychwood to Chipping Norton every Monday, Tuesday and Friday, though the timetable has yet to be confirmed.

County councillor Rodney Rose, who represents Wychwood and Charlbury, said: “We thank the bus companies involved for their co-operation to have these facilities up and running in such a short period of time.”


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