Environment Audit CommitteeWritten evidence submitted by Oxfordshire Rural Community Council, Community Transport Adviser

Reduction in subsidised bus services—not ring fenced and no guidance given by government on what local transport authorities should be doing. The Supporting Community Transport Funds is not the only solution to meeting as many of the varied transport needs in rural areas.

Policies in health do not take into account the significant need for transport in rural areas. There is a strong need for joint working to meet the access needs of health services that are no longer locally placed. Financial support of community transport is not considered, yet in many cases nearly 90% of all volunteer car scheme journeys carried out for health related purposes.

Oxfordshire has a high percentage of low floor buses, but very few of them are accessible in rural villages owing to uneven ground, route and timing. Local Transport Plans are only as good as the funds available to carry out the work. LTPs are predominantly aspirational only eg improving travel plans cannot be met unless there is good public transport to support them. Rural areas always suffer from a lack of good public transport.

Social impacts should be taken into account—transport poverty can be the simple definition. One should also take into account rural isolation as part of transport poverty not just cost.

Rural broadband is poor and therefore cannot be wholly relied on.

Oxfordshire Statistics on Accessibility

Post Offices: Households more than 4k from a PO are in Otmoor, Watlington, Fringford, Wroxton.

Dentists: more than 8k from a dentist in The Astons and Heyfords, The Bartons, Milton u W, Ascott and Shipton.

Doctors: more than 2k from GP—Longworth, Kingston bag with Southmoor, Standlake, Aston and St Harcourt, Otmoor, The Astons and Heyfords.

Primary School: highest % more than 4k from a Primary School—Watlington, Cropredy, Kingham, Rollright and Enstone, Alvescot and Filkins, Ambroseden and Chesterton.

Secondary School: Highest % of households more than 8k from Sec School—The Astons and Heyfords, Charlbury and Finstock, The Bartons.

Job Centres: 510 h/holds are more than 20k from a Job Centre (less than 1% of h/holds are less than 2k from a Job Centre).

4 September 2012