Reading Buses has answered why thousands of pounds have been spent on special registration plates for its fleet.
The bus operator, which is owned by Reading Borough Council, currently has 32 electric buses, with a further 17 set for acquisition, bringing the total to 49.
While these acquisitions have been celebrated for bringing down emissions, the company has faced criticism as a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed that more than £9,000 has been spent on custom number plates for the electric buses.
The man who submitted the FOI, who wished to be anonymous, said: “Reading Buses has recently increased its fares while continuing to advertise itself as offering some of the cheapest bus travel in the UK.
“At the same time, the company has launched a new fleet of electric buses, which is a positive step toward sustainability and improved public transport.
“However, I understand that initiatives such as electric bus fleets are often partially funded through government grants or other forms of public support.
“What concerns me is the apparent purchase of matching personalised number plates for these vehicles — an expense that does not appear essential to service delivery.”
The FOI reveals that £9,177 was spent on registration plates for the new electric bus fleet, with £399 being spent on each of the 23 plates acquired.
The money was spent in the current 2025/26 financial year.
Fares increased in January with discounts for app users.
The man continued: “Given the ongoing cost-of-living pressures faced by passengers, it raises an important question: if public funding has contributed to these vehicles, is it appropriate for money to be spent on non-essential items such as personalised registrations? I believe this is something the public would reasonably expect to be transparent about.”
A Reading Buses spokesperson argued the £9k spend was a “tiny fraction” of the government investment into the bus company, with the custom number plates assisting with marketing.
A spokesperson said: “We are aware that an FOI request was made regarding this, and are disappointed that the individual has not contacted us regarding their concerns, as we are happy to address them directly or publicly.
“The registration numbers are part of our marketing programme for these zero emission vehicles, the ‘ZEB’ letters on them are to raise awareness of the environmental benefits and align with our ZEBRA theme – Zero Emission Buses for the Reading Area.
“Whilst marketing our services and raising awareness of environmental issues is not essential to service delivery, it is essential to growing patronage and encouraging a switch away from private vehicles that cause pollution and congestion.
“Growing patronage in turn allows us to keep our fares amongst the lowest in the country, whilst in an area with a relatively high cost of living.
“The cost was a tiny fraction of the £14 million invested in deploying the new vehicles, and we get value from that investment for the entire life of the vehicle, compared to sponsored newspaper or online advertising campaigns that only last a few weeks.
“Everybody will be aware of the current situation in the Middle East, and with more than half of our fleet running on diesel alternatives, now is a great time to consider switching to the bus and taking advantage of our excellent value fares.”
