Local Abingdon Councillors Plead for Bus

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 17th Apr 2007

The two Liberal Democrat County Councillors for Abingdon East, Cllrs Lesley Legge and Alan Bryden, recently asked the Conservative Cabinet member for Transport to change his mind on stopping the subsidy for the X15 bus. The X15 runs between Abingdon and Witney, and until recently has been subsidised by the Abingdon and Witney College and the County Council. The County's recent withdrawal of its subsidy puts the service into jeopardy.

Lesley said, "I am frustrated and dismayed that this vital link and successful service between Abingdon and Witney which is supported by the Abingdon and Witney College for its transport links of their college sites is not being supported by the County Council. This Service also links two towns with the facilities they offer to the smaller communities in between, as well as the transport to large employment areas. It is not clear why this is different from the Wallingford-Berinsfield-Abingdon section of the same route which is being supported. I would urge you to find a solution, as losing this service reduces the effectiveness of integrated transport.

Alan said, "As well as many villages there are also outlying estates in towns with poor communications, and one such is the Dunmore estate on the edge of Abingdon. It used to have a reasonably good commercial service to Oxford and Abingdon town centre, but when the premium routes were established along Oxford Road and Radley Road that service has deteriorated, and now there is only the town service every 2 hours in one direction. All the 5 estate shops have been turned into flats. The X15 provides a valuable service to the town in one direction and the hospital and the Tesco/Fairacres complex in the other.

"The bus carries 420 people per day, and I wonder what they are going to do. When I have observed it there always seemed to be more people on it than on most of the Stagecoach services running through Abingdon.

"I am also concerned about the effect on the College. I don't know what Witney is like but there are already enough cars parked on the grass around the Abingdon campus. However I see this from the point of view of partnership working. I regard the X15 service as a good example of co-operation between different parties, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, i.e. partnership working. I am deeply concerned that it seems about to fall apart."

The Conservative Cabinet member decided to withdraw the Council's subsidy from the service between Witney and Abingdon, and discussions are still going on between the bus operator and the Abingdon and Witney college about transport between the campuses.