Free Wi-Fi on buses announced as Oxford gets Super Connected!

We are pleased to announce that Wi-Fi will be added to virtually all of our city buses by the end of November. The improvements will be made as part of Oxford City Council’s ‘Super Connected Oxford’ initiative.

We’ve already fitted Wi-Fi to over half of our fleet but we are delighted that, by working with Super Connected Oxford, we are able to extend Wi-Fi to all our buses and coaches. Oxford Bus Company has been at the heart of Oxford for over 130 years so it ‘s exciting to be making a significant investment in the future of our city.

Super Connected Oxford will also make available a wireless concession in the streets of the city and Wi-Fi Hotspots in free to enter public buildings by April next year. Residents and visitors to the city can expect to enjoy free Wi-Fi in all City Council community centres, libraries and museums such as Ashmolean Museum and Museum of Natural History.

Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy, Ed Vaizey, says: “I think it’s fantastic that by the end of November, all the buses in Oxford will have free public Wi-Fi.

“We are investing up to £5m in making Oxford one of the UK ‘Super Connected Cities’. This latest development is all part of Government’s transformation of the digital landscape of Oxford, making it a great place to live, visit and do business.”

Farnborough International Airshow Offer

Oxford Bus Company and sister company Go-Ahead London are pleased to bring you another fantastic summer offer, this time to the Trade Days at Farnborough International Airshow from 14th to 18th July 2014.

Just take the airline from Oxford to Central Bus Station at Heathrow Airport and connect with the Go-Ahead London executive coach service to the show for an all-in return price of £60.

The offer is only valid between Monday 14th July and Friday 18th July. Just ask the airline driver for a special through ticket to Farnborough.

A £25 return to Wimbledon? You can not be serious?!

Oxford Bus Company and sister company Go-Ahead London are pleased to bring you another fantastic summer offer, this time to the tennis championships at Wimbledon in June and July!

Just take the X90 to Marble Arch and connect with the Go-Ahead London 739 service (from the Park Lane Coach Stop Southbound) to Wimbledon for an all-in price. Adult returns are just £25 and Student and OAP returns are brilliant value at £20. Up to two children travel free on the X90 with an adult. So kids just pay the 739 rate in London.

The offer is valid between Monday 23rd June – Saturday 28th June and Monday 30th June – Sunday 6th July 2014. Just ask the X90 driver for a special through ticket to Wimbledon.

Our High Street Travel Shops 1st Birthday!

Our High Street Travel Shop has now been topping-up key cards, selling coach tickets and giving passengers travel advice for 1 whole year!

The shop, which was officially opened by Rt Hon Andrew Smith MP in March 2013, has been a huge hit with customers who have benefited from its central location and early morning opening times.

This week we celebrated the shops 1st birthday with balloons, party hats and the all important birthday cake! More photos can be viewed on our Flickr page.

The Power Deal Is Underway!

The Power Deal is now underway so grab yourself an annual pass from Oxford to London for just £999!

The pass includes unlimited travel on the X90 for a year (choose any start date up to 30th June 2014) and unlimited travel on all Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel local buses.

Plus the Power Deal is less than a quarter of the price of some annual rail tickets!

For more details please visit The Power Deal homepage.

New key benefits at Java&Co in Oxford and Abingdon

We are pleased to announce that new key benefits have been confirmed at Independent Coffee House Java&Co in Oxford and Abingdon.

Get 10% off a host of tasty drinks and food when you show staff your key smartcard.

For full details on this and other key benefits, please visit the Oxford Bus Company website.

Our new Interdecks have arrived!

Christmas came early for Oxford Bus Company this week when the first of our new interdeck coaches arrived at Cowley House!

The lovely new coaches will join our X90 and airline fleets and will be on the roads from early December. In the meantime – check out some photos that we took this week.

Brand New X90 Double Deckers Announced!

Exciting changes are just around the corner…

Brand new double decker coaches are coming to key journeys on our X90 service from early December.

Full details are coming soon, so watch this space!

X90 Kids Go Free!

From July 7th 2013, we will be further improving our X90 ‘Kids go free’ offer from Oxford to London.

• The offer will now be available from Sunday to Friday. i.e. now only excluding Saturdays.
• Time-based passholders can now take kids for free (i.e. 1, 4, 13 and 52 week passes for the X90).
• However this offer will still exclude 12 trip passholders.
• Maximum of 2 children travel free, both of whom must be under the age of 16.

For more details on our X90 Oxford to London coach service, please visit the X90 homepage.

If you’re looking for London day out ideas why not visit our things to do in London page.

Arthur Signs Off in Style!

Arthur Pearson retired on Friday 8th February after 65 years of service and was given a memorable send off by his colleagues, the media and local MP Andrew Smith. Arthur, who joined Oxford Bus in 1948, was greeted at a surprise farewell presentation with a round of applause from his colleagues. Managing Director, Philip Kirk then spoke about Arthur, describing him as the perfect gentleman, “This year the company has been here for 130 years and Arthur has been with us for half of that time. That is an incredible achievement. Whether it’s dealing with passengers, colleagues or even the Prime Minister, Arthur is just the same and handles people with great charm and courtesy. “Now that Arthur has retired, our longest serving colleagues have clocked up just 45 years service!”

Oxford East MP, Andrew Smith spoke of Arthur’s service, saying “It’s an absolutely remarkable story of service to the company and the community.” Following the presentation, Andrew Smith presented Arthur with gifts from his colleagues, including a plaque to commemorate his 65 years with the company and a special cake which featured a picture of one of Arthur’s favourite buses, a double-decker AEC Regent III.
Arthur was also treated to a ride home on his favourite bus after the Oxford Bus Museum kindly donated the use of a vehicle for the special occasion. Speaking about his career, Arthur said coming to work was like coming to play, “I’ve been very lucky, I have always been working. You may call it work but for me, coming to work is coming to play – I loved driving in the first place and I’ve enjoyed every minute. It’s been really marvellous and the people I have worked with have been such a friendly unit. “I shall now just enjoy getting around and walking by the river. I get such satisfaction knowing that after all I made a good job of it.”