Guest support: Homes for Ukraine scheme

Information, support and help for Ukrainian guests in the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Apply for your free three-month bus pass

Disclaimer: as the translations linked above are provided by Google Translate, Oxfordshire County Council cannot be held responsible for their accuracy.

How the scheme works

Oxfordshire County Council, working with Oxford Bus Company, Stagecoach, Arriva and Thames Travel, is offering a free three-month bus pass to any Ukrainian national on the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

This has recently been extended to allow all Ukrainian nationals on the Homes for Ukraine scheme to apply for a second free three-month bus pass. We will be inviting all eligible guests to apply for their second bus pass over the coming weeks.

You can only apply for one free bus pass for each person.

Which bus pass is right for me?

Choosing the right bus pass is important because a number of different bus companies operate in Oxfordshire and each covers a different route and area.

To make things easier, we’ve highlighted the options available, based on location.

  1. Find the town or village closest to where you live as a starting point, but also consider where you are most likely to need to travel to.
  2. Check the maps provided through each of the operator links to make sure the pass covers the area you need it to – you can choose different bus passes for different people in your group.
  3. Apply using the link. One person from your group needs to apply for all bus passes – this should be the person receiving emails from Oxfordshire County Council. You will need to give us the name and age of each person who requires a bus pass, the type of pass each person is requesting and an address to send all the passes to.
  4. If your child has a bus pass for travel to school, please let us know and make sure you don’t apply for another pass for them.
  5. If you are still unsure of your best option, please contact our team on 01865 966444 (8.45am - 5pm, Monday to Thursday, 8.45am - 4pm, Friday. Closed weekends and bank holidays).

Your options for travel

You will be asked to choose one of the following options in the application form for each person.

Twyford and Sonning common
Consider a Reading buses pass which includes the simple Wokingham and Reading zone for travel between Wokingham and Reading. If you require regular travel to Oxford, please do not complete the form but contact us for alternative options.

Burford, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Eynsham or Witney
Consider a Stagecoach pass which includes a Smartzone bus pass. This will allow travel in the west Oxfordshire area plus routes into the Cherwell district area and Oxford city. However, if your regular travel includes routes from Chipping Norton or Charlbury to Witney, don't complete the form but contact us because these routes are not run by Stagecoach.

Bicester or Banbury
Consider a Stagecoach pass which includes a Smartzone bus pass. This will allow travel in the Cherwell district area plus routes into Oxford city.

Didcot, Henley on Thames, Wallingford or Watlington
Consider an Oxford Bus Company / Thames Travel pass which includes a Smartzone bus pass. This will allow travel in the south Oxfordshire area plus routes into Oxford city.

Abingdon or Wantage
Consider an Oxford Bus Company / Thames Travel pass which includes a Smartzone bus pass. This will allow travel in the South Oxfordshire area plus routes into Oxford city.

Buckland, Faringdon, Fyfield, Great Coxwell, Kingston Bagpuize, Shrivenham, Southmoor or Watchfield
Consider a Stagecoach pass which includes a Smartzone bus pass. This will allow travel in the southwest Oxfordshire area plus routes into Oxford city.

Faringdon to Wantage
If you live in Faringdon and need to travel to Wantage, an Oxford Bus Company/Thames Travel pass which includes a Smartzone bus pass is needed.

Thame to Oxford
If you live in Thame and need to travel to Oxford, consider an Arriva pass.

Oxford City
Consider an Stagecoach and Oxford Bus Company Smartzone bus pass.

If your route is not listed

If you use an alternative bus provider for your regular route that is not listed here, please don’t fill in the application form. Instead, email us at homesforukrainebuspass@oxfordshire.gov.uk with your name and address and the name of the route or provider if you know it. We will investigate the options for your bus travel and get back to you with more information.

How to apply

In order to translate the form, use the translation functionality available in your browser.

Postal delays

Be aware that due to delays currently being experienced in the postal system, you may not receive your pass within 10 working days. We apologise for this delay, and we are working to send the passes out as quickly as possible. We will keep you updated in due course so unless your situation is an emergency, please do not contact us about this situation.

Apply online for a free three-month bus pass

What happens next

Once you have applied for a bus pass, we will process your application and be in touch. You should hear from us within ten working days.

If you have not heard from us, please get in touch by emailing us at homesforukrainebuspass@oxfordshire.gov.uk.

How this is funded

Oxfordshire County Council is providing Ukrainian refugees with a grant/gift worth 80 per cent of the value of the bus pass while the remaining 20 per cent is being covered by the bus companies.

By applying for a bus pass under this scheme, you are authorising the council to act on your behalf and pass the value of the council grant to the participating bus company of your choice.

You do not need to pay anything or do anything other than supply the correct information to us through the application form.