Oxfordshire County Council will end its free travel pass for park and ride users on August 15, replacing it with a £3 combined ticket. The new ticket covers 16 hours of parking and return bus travel for up to five people at Pear Tree, Oxford Parkway, Thornhill, Redbridge and Seacourt.
The change is a 50p increase on the current group day pass and comes just after MyBus ticket prices rise on August 1. For families or small groups using the sites regularly, the key difference is simple: parking and bus travel will no longer be bundled into a free benefit once the current scheme ends.
Gareth Epps on bus fares
Gareth Epps, the county transport boss, said the council still wants buses to be an alternative to the car. “If we are serious about tackling climate change and reducing Oxfordshire's chronic congestion, buses must be an affordable, convenient and comfortable alternative to the car.”
He also said, “Reinstating the £2 fare cap is a welcome step in the right direction.” The Government has said that £2 cap is due to return from January 2027.
MyBus prices from August 1
Before the park and ride change arrives, MyBus tickets go up on August 1. A young person day ticket rises from £3.50 to £5.50, a young person weekly ticket from £17 to £24, an adult day ticket from £6.50 to £8.50, and an adult weekly ticket from £30 to £34.
That leaves users of Pear Tree, Oxford Parkway, Thornhill, Redbridge and Seacourt facing two linked changes in the same month: higher multi-operator fares first, then the end of the free park and ride benefit two weeks later.
Oxfordshire funding changes
Oxfordshire County Council is paying for the concession from an anticipated £5.2 million raised through congestion charge pay passes and fines. The council had used that revenue to support the park and ride scheme, but the pricing now moves from a free group pass to a paid ticket for the same 16-hour parking-and-bus combination.
For riders, the practical question is how many people use each site and how many will actually pay more after August 15. The council has set the price and the end date; anyone planning regular trips now has a clear deadline before the free pass disappears.
