A Ministerial visit

We were delighted to host 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 our employees as he walked around. After press interviews onboard one of our brand-new double deck buses, there was a roundtable discussion with representatives of local organisations and stakeholders to talk about how we have helped them with travel solutions. 

Nicky Lloyd and Sally Moore from the Royal Berkshire Foundation Trust, explained how we have worked with them to develop and promote the Hospital park & ride service 300 which started as a closed service for staff and has now expanded successfully into a service that everyone can use. 

Professor Robert Van de Noort, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Reading, and James Haxell, President of Reading Students’ Union, both explained how important our buses are to both the students and staff at the University. They highlighted that with the new Bill seeking to improve safety for women and girls, our 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.. 

There was also praise from Reading Borough Council, with the Leader of the Council, Councillor Liz Terry, and Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, Councillor John Ennis, highlighting the great work our employees do each and every day – and the fact that as a local authority owned bus company, we 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 us for this visit – to shine a light on how local knowledge, and a good partnership with local stakeholders, can improve services for all. 

The Bus Services Bill 

The Bus Services Bill seeks to give local councils more options and opportunities to help grow bus passenger numbers and help reduce congestion. The Government were keen to see our operation as a Local Authority Owned Bus Company – one of three approaches they are keen to promote with this new Bill.