Upcoming service changes will enable Reading Buses to continue to provide as comprehensive a service as possible while customers continue to return to the bus.
In all cases the timetable adjustments effective from Monday 4 April have been made to better reflect current usage of services and cause the least possible disruption while considering changing travel patterns and traffic congestion.
Said Chief Executive Officer Robert Williams: “Since the beginning of the pandemic the government has been providing funding to replace missing customer fares and help us keep the community connected.
“This was reduced last September and will be phased out by October as customers continue to return.
“We are also seeing an impact from increases in costs like national insurance and fuel.
“While we are seeing an increase in passenger numbers, the expected growth was heavily impacted by the Omicron variant. These changes ensure that we can maintain our services longer term as people return to offices and increase their leisure travel.”
Reading Buses announced a summary of the following route changes:
- Minor changes to peak time jet black buses in the morning and evening to reflect current usage
- Minor changes to lime 2/2a
- The combined frequency of lion 4 and X4 is changing to up to every 20 minutes with one fewer X4 journey per hour
- A minor orange 13/14 timetable amendment to Bulmershe School journeys. The Friday and Saturday night journeys will no longer run
- The frequency of claret 21/21a has reduced from 15 to 20 minutes on both routes with combined frequency to the University now up to every 10 minutes
- Minor changes to the royal blue 33 timetable during the morning and afternoon peaks to reflect current usage
- The temporary changes that were made to ruby 10, greenwave 50 and mereoak park & ride 600 to reduce the frequency in January due to a slower recovery and a shortage of drivers will also remain in place, but will continue to be monitored
Full timetable details can be found on the Reading Buses website www.reading-buses.co.uk