Parents and commuters were forced to organiser alternative transport plans yesterday after the sudden announcement on Thursday.

Justin Sercombe, from Kennington, brought his son and daughter to Matthew Arnold School in Cumnor, along with two other children.

He said: “If they were in trouble they should have had the decency to let people know beforehand. “I have left half an hour earlier, it is out of my way, and I am going in the opposite direction. The school told some people then it was just word of mouth.”

Myrica Jones, 46, of Spelsbury, said: “I am totally reliant on the buses because I have to get my two children to primary school in Charlbury by 8.30am and we have to get my daughter to secondary school in Chipping Norton.

“I cannot be in two places at once, so I am totally stuck.”

And Pippa Nash, from Charlbury, said: “I get the bus to the railway station because I commute into London. Lots of my commuting friends come from Finstock and they do not know whether or not they are going to be able to get to work.”

New operators for school bus services

  • 1503/1505 Burford School – Pulhams
  • 1506 Burford School – Henshaws Executive Travel
  • 1508 Burford School – Blunsdon’s Coach Travel
  • 1509 Burford School – Heyfordian Travel
  • 1510 Burford School – Kinch Coaches
  • 1518 Burford School – Ridgeways Coaches
  • 1519 Burford School – Barnes Coaches
  • 1701 Chipping Norton School – Henshaws
  • 1702/1703/1704 Chipping Norton School – Worth’s Motor Services
  • 1705 Chipping Norton School — Tex Cars & Tex Coaches
  • 1706 Chipping Norton School – Heyfordian Travel
  • 1750 Kingham CP School – Baker’s Commercial
  • 1757 Holy Trinity RC – Charlbury Travel
  • 1758 Charlbury CP School – Cherwell Cars
  • 1759 Charlbury CP School – Charlbury Travel
  • 1801 Matthew Arnold School – The School Bus Co
  • 1803/1810 Matthew Arnold School – Tappins
  • 2903 King Alfred’s – Heyfordian Travel
  • 3106/3108 Wheatley Park – Walters (Didcot)
  • 3202 Henry Box School – Angela’s Travel
  • 3203 Henry Box School – Heyfordian Travel
  • 3205 Wood Green School – Heyfordian Travel
  • 3216 Wood Green School – Corder Cabs
  • 2007 Bartholomew School – Grayline Coaches
  • 3207 Wood Green School – Heyfordian Travel

Operators for other RH run services

  • 18: Clanfield-Bampton-Oxford – Stagecoach
  • 19: Carterton-Bampton- Witney – Stagecoach
  • 63: Oxford-Longworth – Heyfordian Travel
  • 64: Carterton-Lechlade-Swindon – Stagecoach
  • 67/67A: Wantage-Stanford-in-the-Vale-Faringdon – Heyfordian
  • 98: Great Western Park-Didcot – Thames Travel
  • 243: Combe-Leafield-Witney – Pulhams
  • 700: Hospitals service — Stagecoach
  • C1: Charlbury Railbus — Go-Ride
  • T1 Charlbury area taxibus – Go-Ride
  • X8: Chipping Norton-Kingham railway station-Wychwoods – Stagecoach
  • X9: Chipping Norton-Charlbury-Witney – Stagecoach
  • X15: Abingdon-Standlake-Witney – Stagecoach
  • X47: Wantage-Swindon (Saturday shopping bus) – Ridgeways Coaches