BUS MEETS TRAIN IN OXFORDSHIRE

The Charlbury Taxibus scheme, centred on Charlbury Railway Station in Oxfordshire, was awarded a grant of #62,000 from the UK Government's Rural Bus Challenge Scheme in 1999/2000. The scheme offers two routes: the Country Route that serves local villages and the Town Route that serves the town of Charlbury. The service is fully wheelchair accessible, using the UK prototype Evobus (Koch) converted low floor Mercedes Benz Sprinter 412 CDi. The bus service is operated by Worths Motor Services of Enstone. Three other Rural Bus Challenge Schemes are yet to commence. These are the Cherwell Valley Taxibus Scheme which will operate in conjunction with the existing Stagecoach X59 service between Oxford and Banbury, a feeder system to the Stagecoach Oxford Tube coach stop near the Stockenchurch Cutting on the M40, and a scheme based on Bicester North Station.