It’s all change to Wokingham’s buses as a new timetable and system is introduced from next month.
Services run by Courtney Buses are being shaken up and a zonal fare system will come into operation, with some bus users paying more as a result. The system mean that users are charged for each zone of their journey, in a similar system to the London Underground.
There will also be changes to the stops that Courtney Buses currently service.
Wokingham Borough Council said that due to traffic conditions, it has been difficult to keep to the timetable for the 128 service – which runs from Reading to Wokingham via Winnersh, Twyford and Hurst.
As a result, the 128 will no longer serve Emmbrook, instead carrying on to Wokingham via the Reading Road.
Instead, the 122 and 129 services will serve Emmbrook Monday to Friday, with an additional 129 leaving Broad Street in Wokingham at 5.50pm on weekdays. On Saturdays, the 122 will serve Emmbrook. There will be no service on Sunday.
There are also changes to the bus numbers.
The 122 will become the 125, as it serves between Wokingham and Crowthorne. At peak times, there will be two services: 125a and b, which serves Pinewood.
The 126, 128 and 129 routes will also be simplified with the 126 becoming the 128, calling at Sonning and Woodley Chequers.
And there will be additional stops introduced to the 121 route, which runs from the new estate of Mulberry Grove to Wokingham Station.
A spokesperson for the council said that this was because of demand.
“With more housing being built at Mulberry Grove, developer funding is being used to extend journeys from Mulberry Grove to Wokingham town and Wokingham Station. Passenger numbers on the 121 are growing and it is hoped these additional stops will encourage more people to use this service,” they said.
The zonal system for charging is being implemented by Courtney Buses after a trial in Windsor and Maidenhead, where the company also operates.
“We’ve introduced this system in Windsor and Maidenhead and have had positive feedback from our passengers and drivers,” said Simon Fisher, transport manager at Courtney Buses.
Acknowledging that the changes to the services will not be popular with everyone, Councillor John Kaiser, Wokingham Borough Council’s executive member for planning and highways, said that the changes came after looking at demand for the services.
“These are difficult times as you know, and we have to use our limited funding wisely,” he said.
“We cannot justify subsidising a practically empty bus. If appropriate funding does come forward in the future, we will happily invest in those bus services that are used.”
The changes comes in to affect from Monday, February 1, 2016.
Details will also be on these websites: Courtney Buses www.courtneybuses.com, MyJourney www.myjourneywokingham.com and Traveline www.traveline.info
The Lion and Leopard services, operated by Reading Buses, are unaffected by these changes.
