Neighbours have been praised for their ‘overwhelming support’ in a campaign to keep a bus service between Reading and Caversham that was days from cancellation.
The number 22 Reading Buses route runs between the town centre and Caversham Heights.
While the route has been running for years, about six weeks ago Reading Buses initially announced the service would be cancelled on Monday, July 20.
A campaign to save it has received support from both Labour and Conservative politicians.
Residents held a last-gasp demonstration to show their desire for the service to be kept on Sunday, July 12.
And in breaking news, Reading Borough Council has announced that it has devised a solution to save it.
Saadia Saadat, a newly elected Conservative councillor for Caversham Heights, said: “A heartfelt thank you to everyone who came along to support our campaign to save the 22 bus service.
“My fellow councillor, Isobel Ballsdon (Conservative, Caversham Heights) and I were overwhelmed by the fantastic turnout.
“Seeing so many residents stand together shows just how important this socially necessary bus service is to our community.
“Your support sends a powerful message that the 22 is a lifeline that must be protected.”
In a breaking announcement, Liz Terry (Labour, Coley), the council leader, has confirmed that the service will be retained, after Reading Buses received approval from the traffic commissioner to continue it.
Reading Buses is owned by the council but operates independently.
It follows weeks of negotiations between John Ennis, the lead councillor for transport, council officers and the bus company.
Councillor Ennis (Labour, Southcote) said: “From the outset the council has been exploring every possible option to enable the pink 22 to continue to serve passengers. I’m pleased a solution has now been found.
“I had requested that council officers think outside the box and consider innovative and novel ways in which this could be achieved.
“Given that only a commercially viable solution would enable the route to run, that was a far from easy task, but they have worked behind the scenes to come up with a solution which does exactly that, which I’m sure the community appreciate.
“By making use of the existing bus grant from government, we have been able to save the service, however, it’s really important to emphasise that this is a one-off grant to purchase a new electric bus, and the interim council funding to support the service until the new bus is delivered next Spring is temporary and does not involve ongoing council subsidy.
“The pink 22 will only be viable in the long-term if residents make better use of it. I urge residents in Caversham Heights to leave the car at home where possible and to hop on their community bus for trips into the town centre. That is the only way to safeguard this valuable route in the future.
“In the meantime, I’d like to thank everybody who took the time to make their views heard and Reading Buses for arriving at a solution.”
Celebrating the news, cllr Saadat said: “I’m super happy that all of the efforts have come to a good place and people will be happy to hear about it.
“It is a testament to our campaign and the efforts of residents – all of this has put immense pressure on Reading Buses to reverse the decision, and because of that, it has been saved.”
Celebrating the news, cllr Saadat said: “I’m super happy that all of the efforts have come to a good place and people will be happy to hear about it.
“It is a testament to our campaign and the efforts of residents – all of this has put immense pressure on Reading Buses to reverse the decision, and because of that, it has been saved.”
She spoke at a public meeting organised by Matt Rodda, the Labour MP for Reading Central, which covers Caversham, on Monday, July 6.
Mr Rodda and cllr Saadat both conducted separate surveys on the impacts of the end of the route.
Cllr Saadat said: “Of the 231 responses we got, 80 per cent personally rely on this service, 40 per cent have older relatives who depend on it, 33 per cent have children who rely on it, and 27 per cent simply won’t be able to make journeys without it.
“The bus isn’t empty, it’s full of pensioners who’ve earned the right to travel free.
“Do their journeys not count because they don’t pay at the door?
“Here’s what the bus really [provides]: the GP appointment, the weekly shop, the school run, the visit to a friend, independence, dignity and community.”
On his part, Mr Rodda noted that the 22 faced stiff competition from the X40 Thames Travel bus route, which served some of the same stops and arrived earlier at those stops.
Following the meeting, he praised council officials for not giving up on the service.
In her announcement, cllr Terry explained that the council has provided a one-off grant to Reading Buses to buy a new electric bus for the route, which will come into operation next Spring.
In the meantime, the council has reached agreement with Reading Buses to operate an interim service under a revised timetable.
