READING Borough Council has announced that it is offering an introductory price for buses serving a new Park & Ride in Winnersh.
Passengers will pay £1 for a return journey on the newly relaunched Winnersh Park & Ride 500 into the centre of Reading and the 600/650 services, including parking.
A special offer is also being made on the Hospital Park & Ride 300 service, representing a saving of £4 per journey.
Overall 50,000 discounted journeys are funded for the three Park & Ride services in and around Reading as part of the £26 million of financial support provided by the Department of Transport.
It comes as Reading Borough Council and Wokingham Borough Council is set to complete efforts to re-introduce the Park & Ride service at Winnersh Triangle on Monday, August 19.
From then it will offer a frequent service into the town centre up to every 15 minutes, Monday to Saturday and an hourly service via Green Park on Sundays.
Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said: “The special £1 return park and ride fares are brilliant value for money for anyone planning to come into Reading town centre.
“It is great news that the Winnersh park and ride service is being relaunched from 19 August and will be able to benefit from the introduction of the new inbound bus lane along London Road.
“Cheaper, faster, more reliable and more frequent bus services will make public transport an even more attractive option for people travelling to Reading and around the borough, and will lead to less traffic, cleaner air and better health for residents.”
Cllr Stephen Conway, leader of Wokingham Borough Council, said: “We’re delighted to see the return of a full service from Winnersh Triangle park and ride.
“It is great that Reading Borough Council is supporting the return of the park and ride service by funding discounted tickets. This, alongside funding Wokingham Borough Council used from a Department for Transport grant to subsidise the re-introduction of the services, means that it is cheaper, easier and more sustainable than ever for people to get to and from Reading town centre for work, education, leisure, visiting friends and families and many of the other great things on offer.”
Robert Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Reading Buses, added: “The Winnersh Triangle park & ride 500 will benefit from bus priority along almost the entire route into town, and offer a really compelling alternative to the private car alongside the rest of the bus network.
“Just one single decker bus can save a huge amount of carbon, pollution and congestion.”
