Picture: Credit – Reading Buses. Pictured Left to Right: Cllr John Ennis (Reading Borough Council), Nicky Lloyd (RBNHSFT), Robert Williams (Reading Buses Chief Executive Officer), Matt Rodda MP (Reading Central), Simon Lightwood MP (Wakefield and Rothwell), Professor Robert Van de Noort (University of Reading), Laurence Jenkins (Reading Buses Finance Director), Cllr Liz Terry (Reading Borough Council), Peter Milhofer (Reading Buses Chair), James Haxell (Reading Students’ Union)
Reading Buses hosted The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Transport, Simon Lightwood MP on Tuesday 17 December for the announcement of the Bus Services Bill.
The Minister was given a tour of the depot and met some of the company’s employees as he walked around. After press interviews onboard one of their brand-new double deck buses, there was then a roundtable discussion with representatives of local organisations and stakeholders to talk about how Reading Buses have helped them with travel solutions.
On the agenda was the company’s development of a park & ride for hospital staff in partnership with the Royal Berkshire Hospital. The Hospital park & ride service 300, which was started as a closed service for staff, has now expanded successfully into a service that everyone can use.
With part of the new Bus Services Bill seeking to improve safety for women and girls, the University pointed out that Reading Buses claret 21 buses running all day and all night is a key safety feature for them. They also commented on how great our app was for allowing people to see where their buses were on a map and to have live times telling you when they will arrive – another key feature for students – particularly if they are out late at night.
The company also highlighted the great work their employees do each and every day – and the fact that as a local authority owned bus company, they are able to offer more for the community and ensure a full return on investment in things like bus lanes that help make services more efficient.
The Minister was impressed with the testimonials from these key stakeholders and said that this was the reason they had chosen Reading for this visit – to shine a light on how local knowledge, and a good partnership with local stakeholders, can improve services for all.
The attendees at the roundtable were Matt Rodda MP (Reading Central), Nicky Lloyd and Sally Moore from the Royal Berkshire Foundation Trust, Professor Robert Van de Noort, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading, and James Haxell, President of Reading Students’ Union and Leader of the Council, Councillor Liz Terry, and Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, Councillor John Ennis, from Reading Borough Council as well as other members of Reading Buses.
Said Robert Williams, Reading Buses Chief Executive Officer; “We were delighted to host not just the Minister and the Department for Transport, but also key local stakeholders whose praise shows the importance of local knowledge and partnerships. Our team are among the best in the industry and providing a blueprint for others to follow – not just from a local ownership point of view, but also for their knowledge, skill and determination to be the best for our customers.”
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