A Park and Ride bus at Broad Street Mall Au Morandarte / wikimedia commons
Reading Borough Council is once again laying on extra park and ride services for Christmas shoppers and visitors to the town centre.
Every Sunday from 7th to 21st December, visitors and residents can catch a Park & Ride bus from the Madejski Stadium from 8:40am, with the last bus leaving St Marys Butts at 6:07pm. Parking is free and the bus fare will cost £3.50 for 5 people (maximum of 3 adults).
The Madejski Park and Ride also offers an early Monday to Friday service, with the first bus available at 5.55am and last bus back from St Marys Butts at 9.24pm. Again, there will be free parking and the bus fares will cost £3 for an adult return and £1.50 child (up to age 18) return. After 9.30am, there is the bargain return at just £3.50 for up to 5 people (max 3 adults).
On Saturdays, the Madejski Park and Ride offers buses from 7.25am to town and a last bus at 7.05pm from St Marys Butts, and the bargain £3.50 group return fare applies all day. (Note that football and rugby matches on Saturday’s 6th, 13th and 20th Dec will restrict free parking availability to up to 12noon only.)
There will be no Park & Ride on 25th,26th or 28th Dec, or 1st Jan.
If you want to stay late in town, then why not catch the late night or all night buses. Late night buses run to Whitley Wood, Shinfield Road, Southcote, Calcot, and Caversham with one late trip each on Monday to Thursday nights and three trips until around 2am on Friday and Saturday nights. Late night buses will run earlier on Christmas Eve, and until around 2am on New Year’s Eve. Reading Buses all day all night services 17 and 21 will also run 24 hours through most of the festive period.
Tony Page, Reading’s Lead Councillor for Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport, said:
“Reading is a leading retail and leisure destination and thousands of people will be visiting during the festive period. We’d urge everyone to consider their options when coming into the town centre and, wherever possible use the park and ride or their local bus.”
For more information, please log-on to www.reading-buses.co.uk or www.Reading-travelinfo.co.uk. Visitors can also call in the travel shop in Broad Street Mall, ring Reading Buses on 0118 959 4000 or Reading Borough Council on 0118 937 3948.
