Reading Re Reading - 3

 The Tangled Web

Once upon a time, Reading Council had a transport department that ran trams, trolleybuses and motor omnibuses. 

The aim was to be a service to the town's ratepayers whilst, as far as possible, contributing some bonus revenue (like a profit for a commercial business) to the civic piggy bank.

But this did not sit well with the lemming like political desire for privatisation and competition.

So Reading Council was forced to sell Reading Buses.

But the council was allowed to sell Reading Buses to a limited liability company wholly owned by ...

... Reading Council!

So it was that Reading Buses Ltd was losing money (we know not how much) on PINK route 22 to Caversham Heights ...

... operated by a shiny PINK bus powered by gas.

It ran to a somewhat disjointed timetable as shown by the extract below.

Note two journeys at 4.00pm, also noting that the company has yet to catch up with the rest of public transport and the computer age, in order to grapple with the intractable problem of the 24 hour clock!

So the boss of Reading Buses Ltd told (so the report goes) his bosses at Reading Council that he would be withdrawing route 22 from 20th July 2026. Note the use of the word "told" rather than "proposed" or "suggested".

The Council bosses do not appear to have made any comment, any protest or even said, "O no you don't!".

But the councillors responsible for Cavesham Heights (e.g. Saadia Saadat, below) ...

... were not at all happy that their colleagues had happily accepted that their bus company was going to withdraw a bus service to part of their municipality; where their constituents would perforce be less than pleased and might withdraw their vote.

The PINK 22 had suffered badly as a result of Covid and further suffered from a major and baffling diversion in 2025 because of a road closure.

Then there was an on-going proposal to divert the route away from its traditional roads ...

... and we all know how regular loyal passengers just LOVE those annoying route changes for operational reasons.

Much to everyone's surprise (very much NOT!) there was vehement opposition to the withdrawal ...

... with a strong poster campaign.

If you were good with computers, you could scan the QR code and add your name to a petition. fbb is not sure how well the demographic of Caversham Heights reacted to an electronic petition. He suspects not well!

Or you could parade threateningly at one of the many bus stops that would no longer be served.

This must have been a very busy stop.

Indeed, IF that had been a typical load, the route would need a bus at least every 5 minutes!

But the press loves to exaggerate, ably supported by contrived pictures!

One plan put forward (fbb knows not by whom) is that the bus-deprived but athletic residents of Caversham Heights could jog a few hundred yards and catch Thames Travel's X40 ...

... running along the main A4074 ...

... and even sharing a few stops with the 22.

It was more frequent than the 22!

So that would be great!

Well now, the 22 still runs; so a solution was found and fbb cannot help thinking that the whole withdrawal episode was a cunning plan by the company and its owners to manipulate the Council (itself!) into a position where it could "bend the rules" and subsidise route 22 without a tendering exercise.

The Council would not want their "Reading Buses Limited" to allow an intruder operator into Caversham Heights, thus risking an outbreak of competition throughout their network.

More tomorrow.

 Next Reading Re Reading blog : Sun 2nd Aug