READING Buses has announced plans to introduce a new bus route serving Caversham and Henley-on-Thames next month.
It follows the recent announcement closure of Arriva’s services in High Wycombe and Aylesbury on July 27, which includes the 800/850 that ran the same route.
The new Aqua 28 route will run between Reading, Caversham, Shiplake, and Henley-on-Thames half-hourly from Monday-Saturday and up to hourly on Sundays.
It means that combined ticketing will be introduced to work with the Reading Buses network where passengers are currently required to use separate tickets when travelling towards such as the Royal Berkshire Hospital and the University of Reading.
The name of the route, was inspired by the River Thames, which also links Reading and Henley, and the buses will run on sustainably-sourced bio-methane to minimise carbon impact.
Robert Williams, Chief Executive Officer of Reading Buses, said: “We often receive requests from the public asking us to introduce a more regular and reliable service to Henley.
“We understand that other operators in High Wycombe and Aylesbury are stepping in to provide replacements for Arriva’s services.
“Our aim is to supplement those efforts with a fast and high-quality service that we know we can operate reliably as part of our ongoing network development.
He explained: “We also feel very deeply for employees affected by the closure, and would be happy to speak with any of Arriva’s employees who live within a commutable distance of Reading about the possibility of joining our award winning team, at what must be a very worrying time for them.”
