Bus Service Cuts Spark Outrage in Caversham

Reading Buses has announced the Number 22 service between Reading town centre and Caversham Heights will be cancelled in five weeks.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service visited Caversham and spoke to residents about the decision.

Laurence Berks, who was critical of the move, said: "It’s sick, it really is sick."

He added: "Give people three months’ notice."

"I’m just sick of the whole affair."

He also pointed to Thames Travel's X40: "They’ve got this X40 one that runs for about a third of the route of the 22."

"The problem is that the two ticketing systems are not synchronised. So if you’re a Reading Buses customer, you can’t travel on the X40 and vice versa."

Caversham resident Hester warned some streets will lose coverage: "I know that the Oxford bus covers a lot of Caversham Heights, but there’s still areas that aren’t covered."

"It’s mainly elderly people or disabled people who don’t drive, and then they’ve got a really long way to get to an alternative bus stop."

Tony Shepherd, staying in Caversham Park Village, said: "I get a free bus pass."

On the cancellation he said: "It’s crazy, really. But I mean, if the numbers are that low, I guess they [Reading Buses] want to save money, right?"

A man at a Hemdean Road stop added: "Cancelling a bus won’t be a good idea, I think, because a lot of people rely on the bus for their daily commute. I use the bus to go to work."

The number 22 service is set to end on Monday, July 20.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter