Outrage as Caversham Bus Service Faces Axing

Reading council has been criticised after Reading Buses - the council-owned company - announced it will withdraw route 22 between the town centre and Caversham Heights on July 20.

Opposition members asked why the council hadn't used its ownership to stop the cut at a policy committee meeting on June 15.

Councillor Rob White (Green, Park) said: "Green Party councillors believe that reliable and affordable public transport is essential if we are serious about tackling congestion, reducing carbon emissions, and ensuring that everyone can access jobs, education, and services."

He added: "Given the proposal to withdraw this service, can the lead councillor set out what discussions have taken place with Reading Buses, what assessment has been made of the social and environmental impacts of the decision, and how the council is using its position as sole shareholder to help protect vital bus links for local communities?"

John Ennis, the lead councillor for transport (Labour, Southcote), said the decision was taken independently by Reading Buses and that the route has been running at a loss. He said: "Whilst Reading Buses is owned by the council, it is also wholly independent of the council, with its own Board and Chief Executive and is responsible for ensuring that the business does not operate at a loss, and to maximise the availability of services across the entire Reading network."

He added: "In the case of Route 22, Reading Buses had continued to operate this service at a loss, for a prolonged period of time, in the hope that patronage would recover. However, sadly, that did not occur, and consequently, the service does not cover its basic running costs, and it is not financially prudent or responsible to continue to run the service at a loss."

Conservative Cllr Isobel Ballsdon (Caversham Heights) asked whether impact assessments had been done. Cllr Ennis said a commercial operator is not required to make them.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter