finstock to charlbury road closed

Mon 21 Feb 2011, 11:23

What a nightmare trying to get in to charlbury there's mud water and potholes everywhere. no thought has been put into this the diversion signs send you to witney via Woodstock to get to charlbury. and there are no signs along the main road to say its closed.

Mon 21 Feb 2011, 00:31

I was probably a little extreme, Helen! Of course your news item is reassuring and I'm sorry I suggested otherwise. I was only repeating the point already made here that RH have not themselves posted the revised timetable for the week, and it seems it is up to Richard and yourself to do this for them. If you need a hand, I'll help too. I hope people in the villages along the route are doing the same, if RH are not.

Sun 20 Feb 2011, 10:26

Jon, perhaps you would like to e.mail me separately with chapter and verse of your specific complaints. As you will see in the News item, I had already planned to send them various timetabling queries. It is a little dispiriting to think that Jane and I, voluntarily, spent two hours trying to sort this out, yet you consider it a waste of time. Having talked to RH we came to the conclusion that we would achieve more with co-operation rather than with confrontation.

Sat 19 Feb 2011, 19:51

It is astonishing that RH continues to run a service very substantially different from the one posted on its timetables on the bus stops, and apparently without any concern whatever. The news item you have posted does nothing to reassure me about anything, Helen!

Sat 19 Feb 2011, 16:00

I have now pinned up (or will have completed doing so by Sunday)on all bus stops in Charlbury revised timetables for both the Cl and the X9 routes. I have also written a report, under the News Heading, about a meeting that Jane Fitzmaurice and I, as the Town Council PTR representatives, had with RH Transport in Oxford on Tuesday. I hope it will answer some of your concerns generally about the service provided by RH.

Sat 19 Feb 2011, 11:37

I was posting on here because I went on the X9 and was asked by people if I knew what was happening next week - they'd read about the closure in the paper, and had no idea what was going to happen with the buses. I was the only person who did, because I was the only person with internet access, unfortunately I don't have a printer. No doubt the people I told will tell their friends, but there will still be people who will turn up for the bus at the same time as usual.

Sat 19 Feb 2011, 10:42

Good for you Richard! Sometimes it takes less time to remedy the problem than to whinge about it!

Sat 19 Feb 2011, 09:49

Taking the attitude that "if you want something done round here, do it yourself", yesterday I printed out a copy of the revised X9 timetable, put it in a see-through plastic wrapper and sellotaped it to the Church Street bus shelter.

Perhaps people who live near other Charlbury bus stops could do the same.

Sat 19 Feb 2011, 09:16

Totally unacceptable! This is the attitude that results in us putting up with so many sub-standard services. ALL parties concerned in this have a responsibility to take steps to provide timely and appropriate information to the public. It's called planning!

Sat 19 Feb 2011, 08:20

RH runs an absolute basic minimum operation. They tender far less than other companies and save the taxpayer/County Council money (I think all their bus services are subsidised), but you get what you pay for.

Fri 18 Feb 2011, 19:06

What I meant by it being a bit late is that people who only use the bus once a week to go to Witney market won't realise until they've missed the bus. Since a fair number of OAPs seem to arrange eg optician appointments to coincide with this people could end up missing appointments too.

RH should have posted the timetables up and notified their drivers of the changes too/put copies in the buses for everyone to see as soon as they were available on the website, since they presumably have a responsiblity to their customers as part of their contract.

Thu 17 Feb 2011, 15:01

I have emailed RH to ask them if they will be doing this.

Thu 17 Feb 2011, 13:59

It's all very well to say the timetable is on the website, but a large proportion of the people who use the X9 don't have internet access. It seems that not only do the drivers not know what time the buses will be running, there are no timetables up at bus stops either to let people know that the buses are running approx 10 mins earlier. It's no doubt a bit late now to rectify this matter though, unless someone wants to print out copies and stick them to the bus stops?

Tue 15 Feb 2011, 13:58

Late evening bus repacement for trains departing along the Cotswold line from Oxford at 21.31 and 23.02. Note that this nice old coach and driver left from the short term car park to the side of the station last night and took an interesting mystery tour via Eynsham to Hanborough and Witney and Finstock to Charlbury. Relax and enjoy.

Mon 14 Feb 2011, 22:45

The C1 bus will call at Charlbury Town Centre in the evenings, but not in the mornings, during the week when the Finstock Bridge is closed.

Sun 13 Feb 2011, 17:14

Does anyone know which route the X9 will take between Finstock and Charlbury? It's timetabled as a 15 minute journey in one direction but 25 in the other.

Sun 13 Feb 2011, 12:40

The revised C1 RailBus timetable is now available at www.rhbuses.com/bridgeclosurec1times.htm and the X9 at www.rhbuses.com/bridgeclosurex9times.htm. However, it appears that the C1 RailBus may not be serving Charlbury town centre as it is not mentioned in the timetable.

Sun 13 Feb 2011, 09:41

The signs have been changed now and the road is closed for a week.

Thu 10 Feb 2011, 22:54

I have let RH Transport know of the situation by giving Elliot, one of the Charlbury Rail Bus drivers know all the information. He told me today that RH are working on something - so watch this space!

Thu 10 Feb 2011, 16:48

What arrangements have been made for the Buses? has anyone information.

Thu 10 Feb 2011, 16:15

Yes i know its going to be closed it just that they have done the signs wrong i have spoken to the highway dept today and they have sent someone out to sort out this problem.

Thu 10 Feb 2011, 10:32

I posted this as a news item some time ago.

Proposed works by Network Rail. The B4022 Charlbury to Witney will be closed from 19th to 27th February, to enable works to take place on Bridge Strengthening. The B4022 closure is at Finstock Halt just past Fawler Mill so to get through to Finstock and beyond from Charlbury is not possible.

The suggested alternative route is via Woodstock and Bladon to Witney but a better alternative would be via Leafield, possibly through the Forest and then back on to the B4022 at the Finstock cross roads just above the garden centre.

(Further information from Robin Calver 01865 815168 )

Thu 10 Feb 2011, 08:54

One-way traffic, reversing at night for some reason?

Wed 9 Feb 2011, 23:45

Odd indeed. Looks like they are aiming to catch unsuspecting travellers in the Finstock Time Trap.

Wed 9 Feb 2011, 23:29

Has anyone else noticed that the road signs say about the road closed are very odd.If you come from finstock to charlbury they say the road will be closed from 7pm to 6am. But if you go up the road from Charlbury they say road closed from 7am to 7pm.