Eynsham Car Scheme takes passengers to the usual places for their health care appointments – the village health centre, Long Hanborough, Witney, the Oxford hospitals and sometimes further afield. But what of other ways of getting around and going places for those with limited mobility and perhaps limited funds?
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First of all is our sister programme in EGNN. Eynsham Good Neighbours arrange transport for people to Eynsham’s Monday Club. They can sometimes provide a driver for a special shopping trip, for a visit to a friend in a care home, for an appointment at a local bank for example. Just ask - Tel: 07743 564516. We need more volunteer drivers, so if you or someone you know could offer to do an occasional drive, it is the same phone number.
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Second do you know about the Oxfordshire Comet? This is a bookable service for many kinds of trip. The 10-seater vehicle is designed for people who cannot access public transport. Individuals or groups can book for regular or one-off journeys. It runs between 10am and 2pm. (These are the hours it is not needed for school runs.) For more information and charges for your particular trip phone 01865 323201 or see www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/comet.
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How about First and Last Mile? This is a community transport service run by entirely by volunteers in West Oxfordshire. The 411 bus goes to Eynsham Medical Centre then North to Freeland and the Hanboroughs. The 418 goes South to Sutton, Stanton Harcourt and beyond. It is due to end on 29th August 2025, but do watch out for a new service in September.
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Regular Public Transport can be an option for people rather more fit. There are three bus services that come through Eynsham. The S1 Oxford to Carterton is the most familiar, allowing you to access shops and other facilities in Witney or Oxford. While work upgrading Oxford station continues, its route into Oxford is via the A40 and Banbury Road to the city centre and on to the station. During this time too, we have the E1 bus from Eynsham to near the top of Botley Road – but it is still quite a walk to the station or to town unless you can connect with the Botley Flyer. This goes from Botley Rd to Summertown, Jericho and the Westgate Centre. Reopening of Botley Rd near the station is scheduled for the end of August 2026, so things may change then. The H2 bus is the third possibility. It goes to Witney and Carterton one way and to Summertown, JR hospital and Thornhill Park and Ride the other. There are stops in Spareacre Lane and Hanborough Roads rather than in the village centre for this one.
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And finally, for anyone a bit fitter and able to go further, connecting to the network of buses in Oxford of course means possible outings to villages and towns around the county. If London is your destination, the S1 bus will drop you near Gloucester Green bus station for the Oxford Tube which goes all the way to Victoria Station. Staying on the S1 bus to Oxford station means that there are trains to Paddington and Marylebone too. For those able to access it, it is worth knowing there is also a limited Oxford Tube service that stops at the Evenlode on the A40. It then misses out central Oxford, going straight to Thornhill and on to London.
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And very finally one more tip – though only for those fine with walking. That A40 Evenlode bus stop also gives a possibility of going all the way to Cheltenham on the S2 service – a bargain day out for anyone with a bus pass. Getting off at Burford is a possibility too – though the bus only stops at the A40 layby and the long walk downhill is going to be an uphill challenge coming back!
Keep up to date with all things transport by visiting Eynsham Online Transport section.
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