Reading Buses is working with the Royals to maintain concessionary travel to allow fans aged 65 and over to travel to Madejski Stadium on match days for free until the end of the season.
Reading Football Club has, in partnership with Reading Buses, come up with an interim solution to Reading Borough Council having to remove their subsidy to match day fares as a result of ‘budget pressures.’
As part of their new partnership, Reading FC and Reading Buses are offering people holding an older person’s concessionary pass travel on their football buses for just £1 single or £2 return. This will open up travel to many more fans who may not have been able to pay the full fare.
This offer will be for the club’s last four home games of the season starting with Leeds United’s visit this Saturday on April 1. Both Reading Football Club and Reading Buses agreed it important to keep football affordable for fans.
Said stadium manager Ray Booth: “Reading Buses will monitor travel patterns between now and the end of our season to gauge what sort of impact the removal of this subsidy has on the numbers of pass-holders travelling to games by bus.
“We will look to enter into new discussions with relevant bus companies on our fans’ behalf as part of the club’s continued commitment to affordable football.”
Said Jake Osman, Reading Buses Marketing and Communications Manager: “We are pleased to be working alongside Reading Football Club to ensure that as many fans as possible can get to the matches.
“It is great to work with the club to reach this solution and to strengthen our partnership. We already provide a comprehensive urban and inter-urban network of buses to get fans to matches and we are delighted to help in this way.
“It is worth highlighting that this offer applies to customers travelling from West Berkshire , as well as applying to all concessionary pass holders getting on our buses at the stadium as the validity of the pass is covered by the authority in which you get on the bus.”