Bus travel discounts

You can get up to 10% off the cost of travel on particular routes run by Oxfordshire bus companies through the University’s bus pass scheme

Bus fare cap extended across England

The government will provide up to £60 million to help bus operators cap single adult fares to £2 per journey. As a result, staff and students commuting by bus can save on travel costs until 31 December 2024. 

Check this page www.gov.uk | £3 bus fare cap for updates.

From 17 March – if you are applying for a new bus card with Oxford Bus Company there will be a charge of £5.00 for the card, plus the usual price of the bus ticket.

 

The bus pass scheme provides you with an interest-free loan, which you can pay back monthly via deductions from your salary. 

To qualify for the scheme, you must be a permanent or fixed-term staff member with at least a 12-month contract and be on the University payroll.  Please note that we cannot extend the benefit to family or friends or transfer an existing season ticket into the scheme.  

If you are a student or staff member and not on the University payroll, you will have to pay for your season ticket in full but you can still benefit from the discount. 

Discounts available from the Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel:

  • 10% for 52-week and 13-week season tickets except for Smartzone products 
  • 5% for 52-week Smartzone products and Smartzone combined with other zones and products  
  • 10% for 36-single trips - sold in batches, valid for 6 months from date of purchase.

Discounts available from Stagecoach: 

  • 10% for all 52 and 13-week tickets except for Smartzone only products. 
  • 5% for 52-week Smartzone product

Please be aware that any Key cards purchased before applying for the University bus pass scheme cannot be topped up. All Stagecoach cards also lack a top-up option. There's a £5 charge for new or replacement keylink cards in the scheme.

How to apply

Once you’ve chosen your route and ticket type, find out which services and zones are covered by the scheme and what the total and monthly costs are. 

Please apply at least 10 working days before you need your pass.

To apply for your pass, select the ticket you want and click on the 'apply' button to complete the form. You will need your payroll number.  

If you need help to complete the form or would like to order your ticket over the phone, contact the Estates Helpdesk. They will also help if you find that you’ve ordered the wrong ticket, but unfortunately there may be a charge to cancel and reissue it.

If you are a new member of staff and don’t yet have your payroll number, or have a query about salary deductions, please contact your relevant HR department. 

Below you can find the costs for 13 and 52-week bus passes from the Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel and Stagecoach. This shows both the total price and the monthly cost that will be deducted through payroll.

Please note that you can use Smartzone tickets across all services, regardless of the company you buy them from.

You can also find the network and zone maps below:

Oxford Bus Company & Thames Travel

Expand All

 

Zones and ticket types

52-week

13-week

 

 

Total

Monthly

Total

Monthly
  £ £ £ £

Oxford Smartzone

 731.00  60.92 203.00 67.67 

Oxford Smartzone + CountryZone

1092.50

91.05

380.00

122.67

 

 

Zones and ticket types

52-week

13-week

 36 single trips

 

 

Total

Monthly

Total

Monthly

 Total
  £ £ £ £ £

Cityzone +
CountryZone

 985.50 

82.13

 299.25

99.75

 106.65
Cityzone Extra 733.50  61.13 225.00 75.00  

Cityzone

 576.00 48.00 162.00 54.00 59.40

 

 

Changes to park&ride tickets:

Find out more about park&ride ticket options.

 

Zones and ticket types

52-week

13-week

 36 single trips

 

 

Total

Monthly

Total

Monthly

 Total
  £ £ £ £ £

CountryZone

 733.50 61.13  222.30 74.10 79.65

Please use the following form to apply for one of the above Oxford Bus Company bus passes.

Application form

Stagecoach

Zones and ticket types

52-week

13-week

 

 

Total

Monthly

Total

Monthly
  £ £ £ £

Oxford SmartZone

731.00

 60.92 203.00 67.67 

Zones and ticket types

52-week

 

 

Total

Monthly
  £ £

Oxford Megarider *

645

53.75

Oxford Megarider Plus *

 795

66.25

Oxford Megarider Plus 
(with SmartZone)

 1039 86.59

West Megarider Gold *

945

 78.75

West Oxfordshire Megarider Gold
(with SmartZone)

1189

99.09

Megarider Country *

795.00

66.25

Bicester Megarider *

 Not available  

Zones and ticket types

52-week

 

 

Total

Monthly
  £ £

Oxford Tube *

1480.50

123.37

Please use the following form to apply for one of the above Stagecoach bus passes.

Application form

Renew your bus pass

We will not renew your bus pass automatically and you need to apply in the same way as for a new one. For more details visit the 'how to apply' section of this page.

Top Up of Bus Card

You will need to provide your existing pass number and allow at least 10 working days before your pass is due to expire so that you get your top-up or new pass in time.

If you already have a bus card not provided through the University Bus Pass scheme, you will be sent a new bus card by the bus company.
 

Report a lost, stolen or faulty pass

To replace an Oxford Bus Company or Stagecoach pass, please fill out the form below and the Helpdesk will arrange for a replacement and send it to you. This could take a few days. There is also a charge of £10.

Apply for a replacement pass

Oxford Bus Company 

If you require an urgent replacement bus pass, the Helpdesk will give you a form to take to one of the company’s travel shops where you can get a replacement straight away for a £10 charge.

These charges are applied by the bus companies, not by the University. You will also have to pay for your bus fares until you get your new pass. You will not have to pay to replace a faulty newly-issued smartcard, and we can refund you for any bus fares you have to buy. 

What to do if your pass doesn't work

Check that:

  • it is valid for the bus you wanted to use
  • you are not trying to use it before the activation date you provided
  • it has not expired
  • you have used your new Smartzone pass on a bus operated by the issuing company (it will not work if you use it first on another company’s bus)

If none of these apply, contact the Helpdesk for advice.

Cancelling your bus pass

If you want to cancel your bus pass – if you are leaving the University or changing your travel arrangements – email the Helpdesk. Tell them your bus pass number, why you are cancelling and the last date you expect to use it.

You may have to pay an additional charge through your last salary payment, including an admin fee – the Helpdesk will contact you to explain the cost – and you will need to return your pass.

Contact us

Estates Helpdesk

Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 17:00

 

 

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