Millions of bus and train journeys have been taken in Reading over a one-year period, but not enough people are using the town’s park and rides.
New data has revealed that throughout Reading, 17.5 million bus journeys were made last year, which was 1.5 million more journeys than expected.
Statistics also show that 13 million train journeys were undertaken by people in Reading Borough last year. That was three million more journeys than Reading Borough Council officers were expecting.
The numbers were likely boosted by the official opening of Reading Green Park station in May 2023, with trains running between the main station and Basingstoke.
The council was hoping that 150,000 park-and-ride journeys would be made last year. However, 106,000 journeys were actually made in 2023/24, which is 44,000 journeys (29%) off target.
The park and rides going into the town operated by Reading Buses are the hospital 300 service, the Winnersh 500 service, the Mereoak 500/600 and the lion 4/X4 from Coppid Beech park-and-ride.
The statistics are recorded in Reading Borough Council’s corporate plan key performance indicators (KPIs) for 2023/24.
The current corporate plan set a number of KPI targets to be met by the spring of next year. These targets have been monitored each year, and provided a traffic light rating between ‘green’ meaning at or above target and ‘red’ meaning 10% or more off target.
The latest statistics have been revealed as part of data compiled by Reading Borough Council.
You can view the KPIs in the agenda of the council’s policy committee meeting held on Monday, July 8.
