There’s good news today for the communities of Spencer’s Wood, Swallowfield and Riseley, as the tiger 7 service, which was suspended on January 17, is returning to their area on March 14.
Reading Buses will operate the restored service with financial support from Wokingham Borough Council.
Reading Buses said today (Monday) the service was initially suspended due the impact of a nationwide driver shortage and Omicron related absences, slow customer recovery following Covid-19 and the introduction of long-term road closures between Hartley Wintney and Fleet.
Said Chief Executive Officer Robert Williams: “The road closure meant it would be impossible to provide a service to a significant number of customers.
“That made the tiger 7 a logical choice for suspension as there was no way to keep the rest of the service running without the customer income, though unfortunately it did leave some communities isolated.
“We are pleased to have been able to work with Wokingham Borough Council to reinstate the service for the communities of Spencer’s Wood, Swallowfield and Riseley as the impact of Omicron eases as well as the council stepping in to temporarily fill the income gap caused by the roadworks.
“We would also like to highlight that customers can take advantage of our new Wokingham&Reading zone which provides cheaper day and season tickets as far as Spencer’s Wood.”
Robert added: “Tickets are available on our mobile app, including a daysaver5 for £19.50 that gives customers five day tickets with no expiry for the same price as a weekly ticket, so it is great for those returning to offices on a hybrid basis.”
The new timetable will maintain key journeys between Reading and Riseley, but with some adjustments to reflect that the tiger 7 will no longer serve Fleet. Full details can be found at www.reading-buses.co.uk.