WOKINGHAM Borough Council has saved four bus services, but their long-term future remains unclear.
At an urgent decision making executive on Monday, August 8, the council agreed to subsidise the Tiger 7 and Leopard 3, 8 and 9 services until March 31, 2023.
The £241,466 cost for the contract extension with Reading Buses will come from S106 payments, formerly known as developer contributions.
Cllr Paul Fishwick, executive member for active travel, highways and transport, said: “I’d like to thank officers of Wokingham Borough Council and Reading Buses for all the hard work that has gone into working through options to retain a local bus service south of the M4 and producing this report.
“I’d also like to thank Swallowfield and Shinfield parish councils.
“We recognise the importance of local bus services to our residents and the role a good network plays in offering greener and healthier travel alternatives.
“This is an important part of reducing congestion, getting our residents more active and helping towards our climate emergency.”
The services will be amended to incorporate the Tiger 7 and the Leopard 8 and 9, into a pattern with the Leopard 3, as an extension to the existing Mereoak service.
Cllr Fishwick added: “The Mereoak Park and Ride service – the 600 – will be extended with two buses approximately running 30 minutes apart, the Three Mile cross and Spencers Wood.
“One service will then continue to Swallowfield and Riseley, Wellington Country Park and return to Reading via the Mereoak Park and Ride on the A33.
“The second extended 600 service will run from Three Mile Cross and Spencers Wood to Thames Valley Science Park via Shinfield Green and return to Reading via Mereoak Park and Ride.
“The Leopard 3 will continue in its current service pattern with slight adjustments to its timetable and this will actually enable students attending the after school clubs at Bohunt to catch the bus towards Wokingham.”
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, leader of the Wokingham Conservative group and former executive member for highways and transport, said: “I am absolutely supportive of the decision.
“We knew the government funding was coming to an end and had been working to bridge the gap for buses.
“In February I had already allocated the S106 payments as part of an executive report so the process which has been followed is the same as I had started.”
Once this funding ends in March, the contract will be put out for re-tender.
Cllr Imogen Shepherd-DuBey, executive member for finance, believes this is the only option the council could implement.
She said: “We are aware we are in a post covid era and things haven’t got back to full service levels.
“We can not continue doing this but, for a short term fix, this is what we need to do otherwise there will be no service to lots of people.”
Cllr Fishwick has given residents an ultimatum to use it or lose it for the bus service moving forward.
He said: “If we want to continue to have a good bus network we need more people to use the buses.
“I urge residents to take the bus wherever possible across the whole of wokingham as they are safe, convenient and far more beneficial to our environment than driving.
