Low Carbon Oxford North is asking residents of those parts of our area less well served by buses to share your experiences of how you get to Summertown and Oxford city centre, and your views on whether a local direct bus service that went from your area would help you to get there more easily. The North Oxford Bus Survey runs from 9 August 2021. This is a real chance to contribute to improving bus services in our area. We are saying don’t just grumble about the buses – make your voice heard! Go to the survey page.
The survey supports our aim to promote active travel and help people to minimise the use of cars in the north of Oxford, to reduce air pollution and carbon emissions. We will also be sharing the survey results with Oxfordshire County Council who are currently writing a Bus Service Improvement Plan, as requested by the Department for Transport. The North Oxford Bus Survey is your chance to contribute to their proposals. The more replies before the end of August, the more impact the survey will have – though you can respond up to 17 September.
We are focusing on the areas that are a relatively long way from the shops and amenities in Summertown, or used to have a bus service but no longer do. We are leafleting as many households as we can in these areas during August. If you live on one of the main bus routes, you probably won’t find your area mentioned in the survey but you can still take part.
You can also have your say by writing to your local councillor. Visit Write to Them to find out who represents your area.
Its a must that we have our 17 bus service reinstatement as we have many oap that can not get to the bus stop on the main road at the top of harefields for the sake of our dear friends we need this bus .for most people have told me that it will be a lot easer for them if they had the 17 back again.
Thanks Antony! Please do take the survey if you haven’t already, and ask your neighbours to do so as well. Rebecca, LCON
The bus that was supported by Jean Fuchs in her time as local councillor and ran up Wentworth and Aldridge road to the Banbury Rd was particularly useful for those people who were a bit frail. For others the walk to the Banbury Rd bus stops is good exercise, but the No,7 bus was useful if you were in a hurry. All comments I have heard about the bus services on the Banbury road have been positive, except for the occasional wry comment that they come in threes when the wait has been longer than usual. If the No.17 was to be run electronically and on certain days that might be a good solution to suit all needs.
Thanks Fiona. Please do take the survey if you haven’t already.
I don’t think I would a bus service from Jericho to Summertown. However, I would find a bus service that went from Jericho to Cowley road, via the natural history museum, to be very useful.
Thanks Adam
A good idea for a couple of days a week and if run electronically.
Hi LC, i’m posting voices of elderly and disabled residents in Jericho who aren’t on internet. Might you think about area-targetted paper surveys to capture needs of others who are digitally disconnected? My Jericho neighbours desperately need a flexible bus service that also takes them to places like Aldi on Botley Rd and Cowley…not just between Summertown & city centre. They desperately want some freedom of movement, dignity, again. If you could think about including that? And if you only do Summertown to City, please get it passing through Jericho! Elderly residents saying the old No17 bus was too often to be profitable, a new bus service needs to run more flexibly, more carefully thought out timings, and especially to stops that enable elderly/disabled to walk easily to them. They also suggest marketing the bus service to parents to provide an extra-safe service for children & schools…like a special service for them. Getting parents onboard the idea will help keep the service sustainable to ensure it continues for the elderly/disabled. (and reduce parents’ car journeys).
Hello Kiki, thanks for your thoughtful comment. As a local community group entirely made up of volunteers we are using the survey to collect information on people’s experiences and needs, and the survey results will be sent to the county council. We’re not a service provider ourselves but we hope the survey will help to improve services. We’ll make a note of all the comments on this page and include them in the results, but I’m afraid we don’t have the resources to conduct a paper survey.
I find it a lovely walk to summertown and to the city centre via the Canal BUT the elderly would really rely on your friendly service for them to be able to go and do shopping or just to get out.
Hello Sall, and thanks for your comment. Just to clarify that we are not in a position to offer a bus service – the survey is to collect information on people’s needs to send to the County Council, who are creating a bus improvement plan.
If the 17 bus route could be restored, It would enable me to get to and from Summertown for shopping. The walk to the Banbury Road is
too far for me.
Great idea, should never have been withdrawn
I’m sure that many of my local neighbours who are less able to get around than I am will take full advantage of this service
Aside from movement issues, I’d be willing to bet that some folk would have the opportunity of more contact with other people, see a friendly face 2-3 times a week rather than once a month
I use my car to get to my workplace 20 miles from home, but I’m desperate to cut down on lazy use of it, I can cycle to Summertown, but my wife who has a disability makes it clear she’d consider it a godsend and make full use of it
The Waterways would benefit from re-introduction of the former bus service. The walk from the farthest point in the Waterways to the closest bus stop is nearly half a mile – a long way for older people, young children and anyone carrying heavy shopping.
At the same time I feel the rest of Oxford’s bus services are also gappy and not useful for me. I cycle 2+ miles to and from work each day because I am fit enough, and brave enough, to do so. When I can no longer cycle I fear I will be stuck.
In Wolvercote, our bus service is being re-routed to Cala homes as the terminus, leaving the numerous elderly and less mobile people isolated at the north ends of Rosamund Road and Home Close. Could there not be one bus an hour ( possibly not in the rush hour) that ran the old route to collect and deliver them?