UNCERTAINTY surrounding a Wokingham bus route could be resolved after statistics show a rise in service users.
Wokingham Borough Council has put the Mereoak 600 service out to tender for a three-year period and will award a contract if it receives a bid from an operator which meets the appropriate criteria and budget.
In August, the council confirmed the 600 route, which serves Swallowfield, Riseley, Spencers Wood and Three Mile Cross, will continue running until the end of its current contract period in March.
It agreed to subsidise amended Tiger 7, Leopard 3, 8 and 9 services at a cost of £241,466. This was due to rising costs and a reduction in bus usage.
The Mereoak 600 replaced the Tiger 7, while extensions replaced the Leopard 8 and part of the Leopard 9 routes. These changes came into effect on September 5.
A year-on-year comparison of the Riseley fare zones for a three week period this September shows a 48 percent annual increase in passenger numbers. Further data is not currently available.
Cllr David Lamont, vice-chair of Swallowfield Parish Council, said: “We are very pleased to hear that the future of our local bus service could soon be secured for a further three years, providing much needed surety to those residents who depend on public transport in our area.
“With both this and the climate emergency in mind, it is good to see strong demand for the service and a substantial year on year increase in passenger numbers in part of the Parish.
“We have continued to engage with councillors and officers at Wokingham Borough Council regarding the future of our local bus service throughout the year and would like to thank those involved for working collaboratively to find a positive way forward.”
Cllr Paul Fishwick, executive member for active travel, transport and highways, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the [Swallowfield] Parish Council for the partnership and work that we have done together on this bus service. 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, which is another of our key priorities.
“It is also pleasing to see the increasing patronage in the new service, but we do need to have continued growth and I urge residents to take the bus wherever they can as they are safe, convenient and far more beneficial to the environment than driving.”
