Thames Valley park and ride to close over low passenger numbers
A PARK & RIDE service launched while work to revamp services at Winnersh Triangle is to be mothballed next month.
The 400 service, run by Reading Buses from Thames Valley Park is to stop after Saturday, June 18.
The company said that the decision was due to low usage, and the end of a funding deal from Wokingam Borough Council.
This means there is no park and ride on this side of the borough until the Winnersh Triangle car park refurbishment is completed sometime next year.
Reading Buses chief executive, Robert Williams, said: “The Thames Valley site hasn’t been well used.
“We will be looking at options to see if the Winnersh Triangle park & ride service can resume prior to this date, depending on how works progress. An alternative to better serve NHS employees is also being worked on.”
Instead, Reading Buses advises people to switch to the Lion 4/x4 service, which leaves from near the Showcase roundabout, the Orange 13/14 services which loop through Woodley, or drive to the Mereoak park&ride 600 services, which are not affected.
The new executive member for active travel, transport and highways is Cllr Paul Fishwick, who said that he hoped a bus service from Winnersh Triangle would resume in early 2023, and said discussion with Reading Buses will take place near the time.
He said that the decrease in demand for park and ride services was part of a national overall reduction in travel, particularly for commuting, with more people working from home now than before the pandemic.
“The Park and Ride service was popular and well used prior to the pandemic, which allowed Reading Buses to run the service commercially without costing themselves or the council any money,” he said.
“Unfortunately, although we have worked with Reading Buses to try to keep the service running, there is a very low demand compared to pre-pandemic levels – it is currently at about 16% of pre-pandemic demand. This means that the cost of providing a bus service far exceeds the income.
“The council financially supported the service hoping that ridership would increase.
“As it hasn’t, the council is not able to fully fund the service and Reading Buses has decided to stop the service as of Sunday, June 19.”
Cllr Pauline Jorgensen, leader of the Conservative Group on Wokingham Borough Council was the previous executive member for Transport.
She said: “The bus service was run commercially by Reading Buses, and during the pandemic it was subsidised by the Government’s bus support grant. When the grant came to an end as Covid-19 subsided, the previous Conservative administration provided bridging funding to allow time for passengers to return to travelling on buses.
“Despite the bridging funding, use remains low and ultimately, the decision for running the service is with Reading Buses, wholly-owned by Labour-run Reading Borough Council.”
She added: “It is up to the new Lib Dem-led coalition in charge of Wokingham Borough Council to decide if it wants to continue subsidising the service.”
The Thames Valley Park park and ride was controversial from the outset.
Wokingham Borough Council’s then Conservative-run administration announced the £3.6m plan in June 2016, with the aim of reducing traffic around the Suttons Seeds roundabout.
At the time, the council applied for permission to build the 277-space on scrubland backing on to Thameside footpath and was opposed by Reading’s Greens and Wokingham Labour.
The then executive member for highways, Cllr Malcolm Richards, said: “Park and rides are part of a comprehensive package to help people make sustainable travel choices.”
Cllr Rob White, the leader of the opposition on Reading Borough Council and Park ward councillor, said: “Greens campaigned against building a £3.6 million car park by the River Thames because we didn’t want to lose yet more green space and there are better ways to spend the money and cut pollution.
“Yet again Labour-run Reading Council and the Conservatives in Wokingham have been involved in wasting money and missing an opportunity to tackle air pollution.”
Looking ahead, Wokingham Borough Council said that it is working with Reading Buses and the Royal Berkshire Hospital to explore long term re-use of the Thames Valley Park site for hospital staff, which it hoped would make a positive contribution to sustainable travel and the climate emergency.