BUS companies have invested millions of pounds in new buses for its fleet, despite falling passenger journeys.

New data shows since 2014 there has been an increase in total miles driven by buses in the county despite a drop overall in passenger journeys.

These were down from 43.2 million in 2013-2014 to 41.4 million in 2016-2017, but bus miles travelled increased from 17.1 million in 2013-2014 to 18.1 million miles in 2016/2017.

Despite the fall in passenger journeys, Oxford Bus Company has continued to invest, with a new £4.5m fleet of 20 purple park-and-ride buses arrived in December 2016, replacing green buses.

There will be further investment over the next two years with five open-top sightseeing buses retrofitted to become fully electric, after the city council secured a £1.7m Government grant.

This is despite a drop in the number of 'subsidised miles' using county council cash.

Managing director Phil Southall said: “Oxfordshire experienced fantastic bus use growth up to 2014 when local authority policy was proactive.

“But we have experienced a decline in bus use in recent years due to an adverse shift in local authority policy.

“This has seen subsidies removed, the public sector viewing bus travel as part of a problem, and a reduction in its promotion of bus use.

“The lack of engagement is likely to be the knock-on effect of government cuts, which has impacted on headcount at a local level.

“But that doesn’t change the outcome of poor policy and engagement towards bus companies.

“Despite this we have significantly invested in our fleet and broadened our services.”

Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach will also use the £1.7m from the Clean Bus Technology Fund to upgrade 78 diesel buses.

Hugh Jaeger, spokesman for the Oxford branch of Bus Users UK, said : “Since 2013-2014 unwise transport planning, plus the county council axing bus subsidies, have reduced Oxfordshire bus use by 4.2 per cent.”

He said the 41.4 million bus journeys were more than double the number of trips by train.

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Paul Smith said: “The promotion of bus use remains a central part of the county council’s transport strategies.

“The county compares well to other parts of England in terms of bus use and the standard of bus services.”