New timetables for Going Forward Buses services from Monday 4th November 2024 are now shown on the individual service pages for routes 133, 134, 137 and 138.  Oxfordshire County Council Fleet timetables are also shown where applicable.

COMPETITION TIME!

Sadly no one won our competition before the closing date - but since then we have received a couple of correct answers - 'Mint Turquoise' is what it says on a panel just above the entrance door!

Nice bus, shame about the face!  No wonder that statue has turned its back on us!

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Wallingford School is back!

At the time of writing we still have a very limited number of places on our special journeys to/from Wallingford School.  If anyone is interested in a place please email us at littlebluebus@yahoo.com for more details.

Please also note that from the start of the new 2024/2025 school year, 4th September 2024, the 07.55 Goring to Wallingford School and 15.10 Wallingford Market Place (via the School) to Goring will have a limited number of places available for non-school passengers.

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Buses waiting to go forward once again!

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Where do we go?

These are the services we are running currently (as at September 2024):

Goring to Wallingford via Cleeve and The Stokes - route 134 (runs Mondays to Fridays)

Goring to Wallingford via Streatley and Moulsford - route 133 (limited service running on certain days of the week only)

Wallingford to Watlington via RAF Benson and Ewelme - route 137 (Fridays only)

Wallingford to Berinsfield via Home Park Shillingford Hill, and Dorchester village - route 138 (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays only)  Also Tuesdays & Thursdays Wallingford to Home Park

Please see the individual pages on this website for details of timetables and fares.

Can anyone use the buses?

Yes of course!  Everyone is welcome, we operate normal registered bus services.  You should be able to find details of our services on Traveline and other transport planner websites, but due to staffing constraints this information may not be updated regularly - short notice changes may take time to get on the system so it's always best to check our website for the latest timetables.

Are dogs allowed on the buses?

Yes, well behaved dogs are welcome provided they don't get in the way of the passengers and they mustn't be allowed on the seats.

How will I recognise the bus?

We operate a small fleet of 14 seater minibuses.  Most of them are white, but one is blue.  Under normal circumstances you will see the route number displayed on the windscreen using a poster.  Watch out for the little white or little blue bus!

Where do the buses stop?

We will stop at any normal bus stop along the routes we operate.  But please give a clear hand signal to the driver if you wish to board, or let him know in good time if you are on the bus and wish to get off.  We will also do our best on less busy stretches of road to stop wherever is convenient for you  - so long as it is safe to do so!

How much is the fare?

We always accept cash, which should be placed in the red box by the door.  Unfortunately we cannot give change, so please try to have enough for the fare.  Most journeys are £4 single for adults, half fare for children 5-18 years old.  On some journeys if you do not have cash it may be possible to pay by credit card; please ask the driver if you do not have cash whether this facility is available.

Of course if you have an English Concessionary Bus Pass you get free travel (except before on Mondays to Fridays in Oxfordshire before 09.00, or 09.30 elsewhere).

There are some special offers which are likely to apply until further notice (but may be subject to change, please check with the driver):

Only £3 single between Goring and South Stoke.

For all other journeys a flat fare of £4 single applies.  And if you pay the single fare you can return the same day for free!

Any problems?

We will do all we can to help.  Please speak to the driver, or if that is not possible, call us on 07484 605888.  We're only a very small outfit so sometimes we can't get to the phone but we do try to answer quickly whenever we can.  We don't have a queuing system or a number of different options - just a basic mobile phone!  If you can't get through and it's not so urgent, do email us at littlebluebus@yahoo.com - we usually reply within 24 hours.  You can also use this email for any comments, observations, suggestions - and complaints.

Two of our re-branded Volkwagen 'Bluebirds' outside Goring Station on March 10th 2017

We took over running the 134 service from 30th January 2017 and immediately introduced extra journeys later in the afternoon; the last bus from Wallingford was at 17.45 and these journeys also ran on Saturdays (although the last bus was earlier at 17.10).  Since the coronavirus pandemic hit the service revised times have been introduced and the Saturday service has been suspended. Through Wallingford the service now runs a circular route – via the A329 via Winterbrook past the Community Hospital entrance, and back via Hithercroft Road passing LiDL and the Cholsey & Wallingford railway - or vice versa.  This is to improve punctuality by avoiding the two sets of traffic lights in Wallingford, and to help ensure connections at Goring with the trains can be maintained.  It also means both the hospital and LiDL is easily accessible by bus directly from Goring, Cleeve and the Stokes (and vice versa!)

On February 20th 2017 we successfully launched the new service transporting pupils from South Stoke, North Stoke and Mongewell to Wallingford School, and the following day the Traffic Commissioners called giving approval for the 134 bus to run across the railway bridge into Goring village, before terminating at the railway station as usual.  This gives easy access to the Surgery, Community Centre, Library, the shops, the river and various cafes and pubs!  We still connect with the trains at Goring & Streatley railway station.

The Fridays only 133 service was introduced to provide a service from Streatley and Moulsford to Wallingford, and alleviate pressure on the morning 134 services to Wallingford.  Soon after that we started developing plans to fill the gap that Thames Travel were leaving when they revised their 143 service from 3rd July 2017.  This meant that Whitchurch, Whitchurch Hill, Crays Pond and Goring Heath joined the Going Forward Buses network. In the meantime, the 133 route was amended to include The Coombe in Streatley - probably the first time ever that this road has ever had a regular bus service!  And now Shillingford, Dorchester, Berinsfield, RAF Benson, Ewelme and Watlington have joined the network, all waiting for you to explore!  We've made some adjustments to operating days so do please check the website for the lastest timetables.

In April 2019 we started running another school's service in the mornings from Cleeve, Goring and Streatley to Cranford House School in Moulsford.  Anyone can use the service, which also passes by Moulsford Prep School before continuing through Cholsey to Wallingford.  Unfortunately due to lack of an available driver this service has had to be suspended for the time being.

Our summer 2019 timetable featured three new routes - Goring to Henley via Woodcote, Checkendon, Stoke Row and Greys Court; Wallingford to Didcot via Shillingford Hill, Dorchester village, Berinsfield, Clifton Hampden and Long Wittenham; and Didcot to Wallingford via North & South Moreton and LiDL.  These were joined in autumn 2019 by Sonning Common.  Sadly due to health problems, some routes had to be cut back in January 2024 but our Goring-Wallingford, Wallingford-Home Park and Watlington-Wallingford riutes are still going strong!

Thanks to GoRide for four and a half years during which they established a sound foundation for the continuation of the route - managing to reduce the subsidy from Oxfordshire County Council from around £80,000 per year under previous operator Heyfordian to zero!  Your new operator - and brand new not-for-profit Community Interest Company Going Forward Buses is based in Goring and is already working hard to expand services in the area for the benefit of the local community. There are no shareholders to worry about or dividends to pay - our only concern is to give you the best service possible with the resources we have.  Since the Covid-19 pandemic Going Forward Buses has been receiving some very much appreciated support from Oxfordshire County Council which enables us to continue providing the same level of service on our route 134 Goring to Wallingford, despite lower passenger numbers.

We still depend very much on the income we get from from passenger journeys (including concessionary passes) - so it's a real case of 'use us, don't lose us'! 

 Please check the Service Changes page for any updates due to  road closures