More frequent bus service will be just the ticket

A bus service linking Wokingham town with Barkham, Finchampstead and Arborfield is set to run more often.

The council has agreed to tender a contract for route 3 to run every 30 minutes between Wokingham and Arborfield on weekdays and Saturdays.

This currently runs hourly on a commercial basis, run by Reading Buses, and people have said this schedule limits their options for travelling to work and school, or for leisure and seeing friends and family.

The council wants to help everyone get around more easily, and the change would particularly benefit groups that rely more heavily on buses, including women, young people and anyone without a car.

It would be funded by money that developers are required to pay as part of the planning process, to ensure new housing makes a positive contribution to the community.

Improvements lined up for late spring

Following the decision, agreed by the council's executive yesterday (Thursday, 30 January), it’s hoped that the new service will start in May. 

The change would improve onward links to Reading as the 3 already runs every 15 minutes between Arborfield and Reading at peak times, and every 30 minutes in the off-peak.

It would benefit residents of the new homes at Arborfield Green, part of the major development in that area, as the 3 passes through it with stops near Bohunt School, Farley Hill Primary School, the leisure centre and the Hogwood industrial estate.

The service connects to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Wokingham Hospital, two rail stations and Reading town centre. Seven secondary schools and Reading College are either on the route or very close to it.

Public transport is more environmentally friendly than driving, so the change would allow the route to serve more residents – further improving air quality and supporting the council's climate emergency efforts by reducing emissions.

Making a popular route more accessible

Cllr Martin Alder, executive member for active travel, transport and highways, said: "A more frequent service on this route will help residents in so many of the ways that we want to help them. 

“Bus services offer an affordable, comfortable and convenient alternative to driving, with no hassle finding a parking place and the chance to add some steps into your day. In the longer term, they improve everyone's health through their reduced impact on the environment. 

“They can also make communities more inclusive as an accessible option for residents receiving care or with disabilities, which we're working to support. More frequent bus services to Arborfield and Finchampstead were also raised during our Social Care Future last year, so we are listening to your feedback.

"We've published a Bus Service Improvement Plan to help us make our buses as good as they can be, and this is a positive step towards achieving that."

A brighter future for buses after covid

Previously, it would have been difficult to increase the frequency because of a national drop in bus passengers following the coronavirus pandemic.

But passenger numbers are recovering, and Reading Buses has increased the frequency of journeys from Arborfield to Reading on the 3 as this part of the route is run commercially. 

That makes the council's proposal more viable, as does an increase in people living in the new developments and business growth at Thames Valley Science Park.

The new contract would run for two years with the option to extend for two more years, one year at a time. 

The move follows a recent change to the council's concessionary pass scheme, allowing those with a disability bus pass to travel free at any time on local services in Wokingham Borough, and is complemented by the national fare cap and a range of multi-trip tickets.

Get updates to your inbox twice a week