A NEW £5m fleet of buses is being rolled out to serve passengers travelling between Carterton, Witney and Oxford.

Stagecoach in Oxfordshire is launching the fleet of 21 buses on Monday.

The new buses worth more than £5m will launch on the S1 and S2 routes.

It is the first major upgrade since the gold-coloured fleet was launched 10 years ago.

The new Stagecoach buses are being introduced as part of an £80m nationwide bus and coach investment.

From Monday two of the new buses will go into service with the remaining 19 being gradually added to the fleet, with completion set for next month.

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Passengers using the S1 and S2 service will be able to enjoy new features including USB charging points, LED reading lights and on-board next stop announcements.

Stagecoach in Oxfordshire managing director Chris Coleman said: “We are committed to investing in the latest technology to help lower our emissions and this is an important milestone for us in Oxfordshire.

“We are able to combine greener and cleaner vehicles with additional features that provide the latest in passenger comfort.

“Our customers can now charge their devices, read with a reading light and be confident they won’t miss their stop with the on-board next stop announcements.”

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The 21 new MMC E400 double deck buses, which will be branded in standard Stagecoach livery, are built in the UK and will replace the current Stagecoach Gold fleet which were introduced in 2009.

The S1 runs from Carterton to Curbridge, Witney, Eynsham, Botley and Oxford.

The S2 runs from Carterton to Witney, Eynsham, Summertown and Oxford.

Earlier this year Stagecoach in Oxfordshire confirmed the withdrawal of the number 11 service, which served North Leigh, Freeland, Long Hanborough and Eynsham.

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The bus company said the 11, which was used by 35 people on average each day, was no longer ‘commercially viable’.

Bus Users UK Oxford branch spokesman Hugh Jaeger said the number 11 service represented the ‘scenic route’ while the S1 and S2 services served passengers in bigger locations.

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He added: “This new fleet is a very welcome investment and it shows that Stagecoach wants to give passengers in Carterton, Witney and Oxford the respect they deserve.

“The previous buses on this route have been worked extremely hard over the past 10 years and it really is time to replace them.

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“The S1 and S2 routes are high frequency and serve thousands of passengers.

“Although the new buses are not gold in colour, passengers will be getting gold standard buses.”