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Sideshoots - associated subjects / The Lighter Side / Re: Oxford - transport reduction at peak times
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on: January 17, 2023, 10:40:42 am
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It is a bit more than LTNs▸ in residential areas, which are indeed already in place. The main routes across the city will be blocked by what are sometimes called "bus gates", but in this case will be ANPR cameras with a massive number of exemptions. So you won't be able to drive from (say) Botley Road through the city centre to Cowley Road, unless you qualify for one of the exemptions.
The intention is good but it's overly complex, and I wish they'd just gone for a simple congestion charge like London. But Oxford does have a bit of a "not invented here" tendency sometimes...
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All across the Great Western territory / Buses and other ways to travel / Rural buses - does anyone promote them?
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on: December 16, 2022, 12:00:57 am
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We have two buses here in Charlbury: the S3 Charlbury-Woodstock-Oxford (operated by Stagecoach) and the X9 Chipping Norton-Charlbury-Witney (operated by Pulhams).
Both were formerly commercially viable, just about. Post-pandemic both are now on subsidy and likely to be withdrawn unless their fortunes turn round.
It occurred to me earlier that I've never seen a single piece of publicity for either service. No leaflet drops, no posters, no advertising, no promotional fares, no community outreach. Nothing other than sticking timetables up at bus stops. The bus comes and the bus goes and it's up to you to find out about it.
As it happens, both services are fairly labyrinthine, partly as a result of the town's one-way system but also due to the way the S3 interworks with Chipping Norton services. I've lived here for 20 years and take an unhealthy interest in these things, and even I only figured out last week which way the evening S3 services leave Charlbury. The most common complaint I hear is that "I don't know where and when the buses go from".
Stagecoach and Pulhams are both generally thought of as good operators. So - is this normal? Are other Coffee Shoppers outside the big metropolises being regularly exhorted to get their local buses?
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All across the Great Western territory / Across the West / Re: Rail unions strike action 2022/2023
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on: November 08, 2022, 08:58:16 am
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The 04.49 from Hereford to Paddington was reinstated late last night. I spotted it in time to save Mrs F the protracted journey on the charming but rather slow bus from Charlbury into Oxford this morning. Can't imagine it was busy, though, unless there were many other people watching RTT» in the small hours.
Otherwise no service before 09.00 here.
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Journey by Journey / London to Didcot, Oxford and Banbury / Re: Oxford Station - improvements, incidents and events (merged topic)
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on: November 06, 2022, 07:18:17 pm
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The bridge needs replacing regardless of the station works. It's sufficiently low that the bus companies need a special fleet of low-profile double-deckers to fit through it, it's unpleasant for pedestrians and downright lethal for cyclists.
The road won't be "closed", of course, just closed to motor traffic. Pedestrians can still get through and so can cyclists (if they dismount). It might make a few people think twice about driving into Oxford, and as a resident of an Oxfordshire town I know there are plenty of people who could take the direct bus, Park & Ride, or train, but don't. There will be those for whom it's a genuine inconvenience, of course, but I believe the improvements to the bridge for non-private car users - and to the railway, of course - will be worth it in the round.
(Oxford is getting a massive new fleet of electric buses in a couple of years... I presume these will be too tall to fit under the old bridge?)
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