Oxford Bus Company

Mercedes-Benz Citaro in Oxford in June 2006
Slogan	We're all about Oxford
Parent	Go-Ahead Group
Founded	1881
Headquarters	Oxford
Service area	Oxfordshire
Service type	Bus services
Destinations	Abingdon, Didcot, Kidlington, Oxford. Express services to London, Heathrow, Gatwick
Fleet	163 (April 2015)
Chief executive	Phil Southall
Website	www.oxfordbus.co.uk

Oxford Bus Company is a bus operator serving the city and surrounding area of Oxford, England. It is a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group.

A City of Oxford Tramways Company horse-drawn tram system first operated in Oxford in 1881. In 1906 its operation was taken over by the City of Oxford Electric Tramway Company. This did not in fact electrify the tramway, but in 1913/14, and under threat of competition from William Morris, replaced the trams with Daimler buses.

In 1921 the company was renamed City of Oxford Motor Services Limited and continued to expand its operations into the surrounding countryside. From the 1930s the company was controlled by British Electric Traction with the Great Western Railway also having a shareholding. Most of the fleet comprised AEC vehicles in the traditional red livery with green and maroon relief.

On becoming a subsidiary of the National Bus Company in 1969, moves towards greater integration of city and country services began. In 1971 the Oxford to London coach operator South Midland, which had been controlled by the neighbouring Thames Valley Traction company, was transferred to City of Oxford Motor Services and the fleet name for the entire operation became Oxford South Midland. A particularly acute problem for the operator was the competition for staff with Morris Motors whose works was located close to the Oxford garage. One solution was the move to one person operation of buses during the 1970s. Following several trials, the Oxford company has operated the city’s pioneering park and ride bus services since 1978, the year in which the London express service on its present routing began.

In 1983 the operation was split into separate Oxford and South Midland units. The Oxford Bus Company was allocated the Oxford city services and the London routes, and South Midland was allocated the remainder of the network. Both companies were subject to management buyouts. The South Midland company was soon resold to Thames Transit (later Stagecoach South Midlands) who introduced minibus competition, countered by the Oxford Bus Company under the brand name Oxford City Nipper.