Deputy Mayors Diaries: Reading Buses Open Day

I do like Reading Buses, in fact they are my choice of commuter transport.  The 17 takes me nicely to and from work so we have been to Reading Buses Open Day before.  It's not until someone explains all the composite parts that you truly understand the work behind the scenes and that's what happened today.

James Freeman escorted the boys and me around the open day and was a delightful host.  It was clear walking around the site than James Freeman is hugely respected and will be sorely missed when he leaves Reading Buses later this year.

First off was a trip through the bus wash, something we hadn't done before.  I got to hear a wonderful tale of the first bus to do this trip.  They had no water softener so the bus got coated in limescale which took a week to remove!

We chatted to people running the various stalls.  Launchpad were there as they are Reading Buses' charity of the year.  I spoke to Eddie Winship of Blast1386 about Reading Buses special relationship with Reading and how important it is for local business to support local charities and groups within the town.

I got the chance to look around the  First Stop bus that can be found in Reading town centre Friday and Saturday night helping those in need of assistance.  They offer help, advice and first aid and have saved tens if not hundreds of ambulances being called and trips to an already busy A&E.  They will also be using the bus to reach groups that don't normally engage with health services.

We then had a look around one of the new buses and it was very impressive.  I rarely see anything other than the 17 so it was nice to have a look around the brand new single deck buses.  James left us to have a look around the various buses.  My boys wanted to visit one of every colour but I suggested we only look at a few, after all we know the inside of a 17 rather well!

We ended our visit with a look around the vintage buses including one that started work in 1938.  It was a great event and one I can recommend for 2015.

 I must also share that we got to meet some Stormtroopers from the UK Garrison.  We were taking a shortcut through the  headquarters so I could cut the ribbon and open the event and there they where, stood in a corridor at Reading buses.  My youngest recoiled and started shaking, clearly concerned there were Stormtroopers in Reading.  They are baddies after all!

What a great weekend

Yesterdays Oxford Road Fun Day was an excellent event and so busy.  It has been estimated that 1500 people visited throughout the fours hours it was on.  There were loads of community groups which was great to see.  Battle Councillors were visited by lots of people, mainly for a chat but a couple of bits of casework were picked up.  We were also glad to be visited by some of our Labour Party members in Battle.

Today my family and I went to the Reading Buses Open Day.  We caught a vintage bus from town, my husband won a coconut from the shy, the eldest got his face painted and the youngest got a lolly.  I got to meet two Stormtroopers and an Imperial Officer and, for a lifelong Star Wars fan, it was exciting and a teeny bit weird/scary at the same time.

9am Free Bus Travel Proposed for Elderly Reading Residents

Below is a press release confirming that Labour led Reading Borough Council are looking to re-instate free bus travel from 9am for pensioners.  This is excellent news.

When the coalition Tory/Lib Dem council administration took away this free travel in 2010/2011, as well as that for disabled residents, I was contacted by many people who could not understand why those on fixed and lower incomes were being targeting in this way.  Labour pledged to re-instate free travel and are delivering!

06/06/2012
Reading Borough Council Press Release

Elderly people in Reading will be able to travel for free on local buses from 9am on weekdays, if proposals are adopted next week.

The nationally funded concessionary fares scheme means that, at the moment, people over pensionable age in Reading can only make use of free bus travel from 9.30am, Monday to Friday.

Reading Borough Council is now planning to introduce free bus travel for the elderly from 9am onwards on weekdays. The cost of funding the extra half-an-hour's free travel   estimated to be between £29,000 and £46,000 per year - would be paid for with income from bus lane fines in the town.

Oxford Rd closed overnight 25-26 May #rdg

The Oxford Road, by West Reading Bridge, will be closed overnight from midnight Friday 25 May until 5am Saturday 26 May while emergency bridge repairs are made.

A fully signed diversion route will be in place as follows:

From the West

• Turn right on to Grovelands Road
• Turn left on to Water Road
• Turn left on to Tilehurst Road
• Turn left on to Russell Street
• Turn left on to Oxford Road (diversion ends)

From the East

From Chatham Street on to Bedford Road:

• Lane 2 of Bedford Road (southbound) closed, all traffic forced left on to Oxford Road
• Turn right on to Russell Street
• Follow reverse of diversion ‘from the West’

For information on bus diversions please see here.