A SUSPECTED arson attack at Slough bus station is having an impact on services in Wokingham.
The attack saw one bus destroyed and three damaged.
As a result, Reading Buses, which owns Thames Valley Buses, said that coupled with a shortage of drivers, some services on its network are being cancelled, some at short notice.
In the early hours of Saturday, October 29, a fire was discovered at the bus station, badly damaging its roof. Thames Valley Police said it was thought to have started on a bus, and badly damaged the roof of the station.
The force is appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Thames Valley Buses say they are working with the authorities and doing everything possible to keep services running, and apologised for any disruption.
“Our team have stepped up remarkably to cope with the challenges posed by the fire, whilst also keeping as many services running as possible,” said Thames Valley Buses Chief Executive Officer Robert Williams.
“One Thames Valley Buses vehicle was destroyed, whilst two Thames Valley Buses vehicles and one Reading Buses vehicle were damaged. We are covering this from within our existing spares, and services are running normally other than departing from alternative stops in Slough town centre.”
“We are very sorry for the problems that this can cause to our customers. Our team are working extremely hard to minimise the disruption and to prioritise essential journeys such as the first/last each day and at school times, whilst also avoiding cancelling consecutive trips on the same route.”
“At the same time, we are in conversation with local authorities about how the situation can be managed in a more planned way for our customers as we continue to recruit enthusiastic people who enjoy helping the local community to our well-paid and highly regarded teams in Bracknell, Maidenhead, Slough and Wokingham.”
He added that Reading Buses, who wholly own Thames Valley Buses, were providing assistance in what are regarded as ‘extremely challenging circumstances’ while also grappling with several sets of major roadworks on their own network that have been causing severe traffic congestion.
In the aftermath of the fire, Thames Valley Buses routes 2 and 15 will depart from Brunel Way, route 5 will start from Queensmere stop D, and Green Line 702 and 703 services will use Queensmere stop G for the foreseeable future.
