James

James, a participant in the Oxford Car Free Challenge, used to drive to work but now no longer owns a car and commutes by bus. He uses a service subsidised by his employer, which runs through the day, linking the city to the Oxfordshire science park where he works.

When he joined the Challenge, he says, he quickly met colleagues and neighbours travelling the same way: “I found the experience very enjoyable, very social, made lots of friends on the buses.” His journey became a chance to chat, even to have an occasional work meeting, or just relax and watch the world go by.

More recently he has been trying the same journey by bike and is now buying a new bicycle through the Cycle to Work scheme, another initiative offered by his employer. In the future he plans to mix cycling and bussing: on a day when he cycles to work he will take the bus home, leaving his bike overnight, while the following day he will take the bus in and cycle home in the evening. The provision of secure cycle parking at work, he says, allows him to leave his bike there with confidence, and makes these hybrid journeys possible. James explains: “You don’t have to do one thing: you can do a combination. That idea makes it a bit easier and a bit more manageable.” 

As a scientist, he says he is committed to being part of a green energy transition: “We can decide whether we go on with business as usual… or we can look to a different future. So I think it’s certainly the time to do that at the moment.”