OXFORD BUS COMPANY AND THE OXFORD SCIENCE PARK FORM PARTNERSHIP FOR ON-DEMAND SERVICE

OXFORD BUS COMPANY AND THE OXFORD SCIENCE PARK FORM PARTNERSHIP AS PART OF JOINT DRIVE TO IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY

Oxford, UK, March 5 2019 - Oxford Bus Company and The Oxford Science Park have formed a partnership to strengthen the PickMeUp on-demand minibus service in the Eastern Arc of the city.

The Oxford Science Park has become a formal corporate partner of the innovative ride sharing service, providing annual investment to support the pilot scheme. PickMeUp, which launched last June, was the first public transport provision of its kind in the UK.

The service enables people to request a bus pick-up at a virtual bus stop using a mobile phone app. It offers flexibility for passengers who can choose both the starting and finishing point of any journey within the zone around the Eastern Arc of Oxford, which includes the University Science Area, the John Radcliffe Hospital and the railway station. Oxford Bus Company introduced the service as a pilot scheme following the backing of parent company the Go-Ahead Group and in response to feedback from residents that greater connectivity was required in the Eastern Arc of the city.

When the service launched, Oxford Bus Company appealed for support from the business community and offered various corporate packages. The Oxford Science Park is the first corporate partner and the partnership will help PickMeUp continue to provide improved connectivity for The Oxford Science Park’s occupiers and visitors.

Phil Southall, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director said: “The business community repeatedly said they required greater connectivity between commercial centres and The Oxford Science Park has really backed us to help make it a reality. We need more commercial partners and more will partner and help us maintain and enhance the service.”

”The Oxford Science Park is a big part of the Eastern Arc and we are seeing a continued increase in the number of people using the service on the park. More than 30 rides are booked from The Oxford Science Park and Kassam complex daily, and this number is rising.”

Piers Scrimshaw-Wright, Managing Director of The Oxford Science Park, said: “PickMeUp has been a great success since its launch last summer, providing our occupiers and visitors alike with an easy, convenient and sustainable way to travel to the Park and other local destinations. The service is innovative – which we embrace – and we are pleased via this capital partnership to provide further support to the service, which is an important addition to transport options around the City.”

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For further media information please contact:

Oxford Bus Company
Fortitude Communications
Greig Box Turnbull: [email protected] / 03301 331 074

The Oxford Science Park
Emma Palmer Foster, Strategic Communications Consultant
T: +44 (0)7880 787185, [email protected]


About The Oxford Science Park
The Oxford Science Park is owned and managed by Magdalen College, Oxford. Created in 1991, the Park upholds the College’s heritage and provides one of the most influential science & technology environments in the UK. There is more than half a million square feet of workspace accommodation across the Park, which is now home to nearly 2,500 people and more than 90 businesses. These range from start-ups based in the Magdalen Centre innovation hub to major international companies and include Blue Earth Diagnostics, Circassia, OrganOx, OxSonics, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Sharp Life Science, Oxford Genetics, ProImmune, Oxford Sciences Innovation, Evox Therapeutics, Vaccitech and Exscientia.
In addition to being a key property investment, the Park is at the heart of Magdalen College’s strategy to support discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. It will continue to develop The Oxford Science Park as a long-term strategic asset, with ambitious plans to create an additional 300,000+ sq ft of office and laboratory space on the remaining 10+ acres of land over the next 3-5 years. This additional capacity will support the growth of businesses already based on the Park, providing flexible workspace accommodation, and enabling new companies to enjoy the Park’s exceptional environment and collegiate and collaborative ethos. The Oxford Science Park is located approximately four miles south-east of Oxford city centre, just off the City’s southern ring road. It has easy access to the M40 and A34, as well as to Heathrow Airport and mainline train services. For further information, please visit: www.oxfordsp.com or follow us on twitter @OxfordSciencePK