Bus service extended to serve more villages

A BUS company has extended its service to cover Binfield Heath and Dunsden Green.

Reading Buses has stepped up in response to Carousel Buses withdrawing from the area and Arriva’s decision to axe its 800 and 850 services between High Wycombe and Aylesbury.

Four to five journeys a day along the Aqua 28 route will now divert to Binfield Heath and Dunsden Green from Monday, September 2.

The service shake-up follows a tendering process carried out by Oxfordshire County Council.

There will be other minor changes to the overall Aqua 28 timetable, which provides the fastest and most regular connection between Reading, Caversham, Shiplake and Henley.

These are to take into account the new diverted journeys as well as to generally improve efficiency and timekeeping.

Robert Williams, the chief executive of Reading Buses, said: “We are aware that bus users in these areas have had a difficult time and are pleased to be working with the county council to help maintain services to these communities.

“We have tried to replicate the existing times as far as our Aqua 28 timetable will allow and hope that this won’t cause too much inconvenience to the rest of our customers who are already flocking to the service in droves.

“We also hope that these journeys are used and welcome feedback from residents as to timings that work better for the community.

“The bus takes around 40 to 45 minutes end-to-end to get between Reading and Henley, or less if travelling from places along the route like Caversham.

“You can travel for just £4 return on our bus and there are also day tickets and season passes available for onward journeys on our network of buses in Reading, which is perfect for people who need to go to points of interest such as the university or the hospital.”

The Aqua 28 service, named after taking inspiration from the River Thames, uses bio-methane fuelled buses, which reduce overall carbon emissions by up to 84 per cent compared to an equivalent diesel bus.

Buses will leave Binfield Heath towards Reading at 7.37am, 9.30am, 12.34pm and 6.45pm Monday to Friday and at 7.29am, 10.29am, 1.34pm and 5.34pm on Saturdays.

Buses will leave Binfield Heath towards Henley at 7.22am, 8.15am, 9.45am, 2.25pm and 6.25pm Monday to Friday and 9.20am, 11.25am, 1.25pm and 6.25pm on Saturdays.