Sir – In April last year, you reported that Oxfordshire County Council was promising improved local bus services in West Oxfordshire, despite there being a cut in funding.

Our local county councillor Rodney Rose also claimed to be at the forefront of making these improvements.

The reality of what has occurred is far from what was promised.

In the past there were regular services throughout the day from Milton-under-Wychwood through Shipton and Burford to Witney. From there services were connected to Oxford and beyond.

In addition, it was possible to use a frequent and daily service to Chipping Norton, as well as direct connections to both Kingham and Charlbury railway stations, with the buses timed to link in with the railway timetable.

Since April the services offered have deteriorated dramatically, and for village residents who do not have access to cars, the quality of their lives has become seriously harmed.

For a while a company called GoRide offered a service that proved to be catastrophic in terms of reliability, eg non-arrival of buses, appalling punctuality, drivers getting lost and asking passengers the way, and even buses running out of fuel. That service finished at the end of November.

Instead, a new timetable has been launched with fresh operators, but the real provision of useable transport being offered is parlous.

There are no services connecting the Wychwoods villages with the trains at either Kingham or Charlbury, while there are a handful of Villager community bus services over the course of the week linking the Wychwoods to Chipping Norton, with the return services usually leaving just an hour-and-a-half later.

In real terms it is not feasible for residents to travel for such things as dental appointments at the nearest NHS dentist, nor are trips by bus feasible for appointments at Chipping Norton’s new community hospital, which was built to serve the northern part of West Oxfordshire.

The last bus service on weekdays from Witney to connect for Milton-under-Wychwood leaves Witney at 3.12pm – there are later buses from Burford, but there is no means of getting to them from Witney – making travel impossible for those who need a later bus, eg those in work or full-time study.

In addition, it is also impossible for any resident who has an afternoon appointment at one of the Oxford hospitals to get home by public transport.

The whole issue is a fiasco, and has consequences that are too innumerable to describe.

I think that Rodney Rose, who claims to champion the bus service, should abandon his car for a week, and travel on his official duties (as well as on private ones), by public transport, so that he can find out, at first hand, the futility of travel by public transport for his constituents.

Martin Hallam, Church Road, Milton-under-Wychwood