BUS passengers will need to check the times of their services for an extended period this Christmas and New Year.

As a result of changes to school transport arrangements over the summer, a number of bus routes now get funding from Oxfordshire County Council for the operation of extra services.

Special school holiday timetables will apply on a number of routes operated by the Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach from Monday to Friday, December 23 next week.

Oxford Bus Company is also operating revised timetables from Monday on Oxford park-and-ride routes 300 and 500 and the X90 Oxford-London coach route.

In West Oxfordshire, Pulhams’ X9 bus from Charlbury to Chipping Norton at 8.15am and the return service at 3.20pm, which both serve Chipping Norton School, will not run.

On Christmas Eve, most routes across Oxfordshire will finish by about 8pm.

On Christmas Day, Stagecoach will only run special services on route 1, between Oxford city centre and Blackbird Leys, and the Oxford Tube to London. The Oxford Bus Company will only be operating airline coaches to Heathrow and Gatwick airports on Christmas Day.

From Boxing Day until the bank holiday on Monday, January 2, special timetables will apply on most bus routes in the county, with normal services resuming from Tuesday, January 3.

Passengers are advised to check with the operators of their routes for information on special timetables or see travelline.info