A free to use bus service named the 360 has been launched in a new joint venture between Reading Buses and Reading University Students Union to support students accessing the huge 2,500 capacity venue 3Sixty.
The new 360 bus, which is also being supported by the University of Reading, operates on Wednesday and Saturday nights between 3Sixty at the heart of Whitenights Campus and the main off-campus student areas orientated around the Wokingham Road and Erleigh Road where a new stop has been installed.
The 360 runs up to every 15 minutes from 10pm until 2.30am each Wednesday and Saturday throughout term time to improve access for students with mobility issues as well as supporting vulnerable students by offering a safe way back home and helping to reduce noise in the local community.
President Ben Knowles of the Students Union, who came up with the idea, wanted to do something to improve access to the venue that so many students enjoy, missed or had not been able to experience for some 18 months.
He said: “I am impressed with the speed that both the University and Reading Buses have worked with myself to get this initiative off the ground for the beginning of term.”
Bus travel in Reading is recognised by the Students Union as ‘a very useable mode of transportation.’ Introducing students to a reliable and most importantly sustainable mode of transport is an objective of the Students Union to change individuals’ attitudes and ultimately reduce their carbon impact.
Reading Buses Marketing and Communications Manager Jake Osman said: “We are thrilled to get this service going with RUSU and the University. Providing safe travel for students enjoying their social times is extremely important and hopefully will also translate into more students using the core services too.
“This new bus route will supplement the claret 21 which runs 24/7 through the University and will hopefully help the local community in noise reduction as it removes the need for students to walk home to properties along the Wokingham Road.”
Jake explained that the number of customers on board has been steadily increasing since the launch of the service on September 22.
“The numbers are climbing, but we do encourage more students to use the service to ensure that the bus will continue to be funded over the coming months and, hopefully, years.”