Minutes from last year’s annual general meeting of the Maiden Erlegh Residents’ Association (MERA), just published, have revealed how a bus service in Earley could be ended due to its underuse.
The secretary provided an update on the Silverdale Road bus service, explaining that the 19a/c route was unprofitable to the extent that it had to be subsidised at £100,000 per annum, and the concern was that with council finances being so problematic, the service could be severely reduced or lost following the tendering process currently being conducted.
Accordingly, alternative routes had been provided to the community trransport manager in the hope that these would receive consideration to avoid the loss or reduction of the service.
One proposal was that the route could be extended to Wokingham (instead of Woodley) via the large new estates off Hatch Mill Way, Toutley Road and William Heelas Way, which were largely without a bus service.
The secretary stated that he was aware that a small number of residents still wished to retain the Woodley connection, and MERA would continue to advocate that some level of service was put in place to replace the 19a/c route, which might even include Dial-a-Ride as an alternative.
It was stated that the 19b service remained viable, although it was just breaking even and passenger numbers were still recovering slowly from the pandemic.
A spokesperson for Wokingham borough council told Wokingham Today: “The 19a/c services are financially supported by Wokingham Borough Council, alongside the 19b service. All three routes are currently operated under a single contract with Reading Buses.
“The current contract is due to be retendered this summer, alongside a number of other council-supported bus services, ahead of new contracts being introduced in April 2027. “Details of the retendering programme are set out in the Executive report published in May 2026.
“Wokingham borough council currently invests £2.46 million per year in local bus services and this is due to increase to £2.72 million per year from April 2027.
“The council regularly reviews supported bus services to ensure they continue to meet residents’ needs. As part of the current review, we have undertaken engagement with residents, town and parish councils, community groups and bus operators. The results of the resident engagement are available on the council’s Engage platform and will help inform future service specifications.
“While we can’t comment on the final outcome of the tendering process at this stage, the 19 services currently have some of the highest passenger numbers of all council-supported bus routes.
“Services providing links between Silverdale Road, Cutbush Lane, Carshalton Way and Beech Lane with Wokingham town centre and the Royal Berkshire Hospital have been identified as priorities for future council funding.”
