In the second part of his feature, Adrian Morton looks at Reading Buses today and its current operations
In last week’s issue, I began my conversation with Chief Executive Officer at Reading Buses Robert Williams and considered the relevance and importance of the municipal model of operation. This week, we find out more about the company as it is today.
Looking back at his six years at the helm, Robert’s view is that he is only now doing the sorts of thing that he’d expected to be doing in year two of his tenure, thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic hitting 18 months after he started in post. The weeks when the pandemic first hit were some of the most worrying of his career, he told me, with revenue plummeting and the government still working out what to do. Multiple new vehicle orders were cancelled as a result, the company relying on its relatively youthful average fleet age and high frequency network to reduce short term costs, whilst keeping customers connected.
Some of the other basics of bus operations were revisited too, from addressing routes that had been performing poorly financially to improving punctuality and responding to driver feedback. The last two years have seen the company rapidly rebuilding to a position where it can afford to significantly invest in new vehicles once again, with a resumption of its policy of replacing 10% of the fleet each year to keep up with the latest technologies and to keep operating costs low, alongside increasing frequencies as numbers grow and to respond to new opportunities.
Patronage on rural services is now above pre-pandemic levels, Robert said, whilst urban services remain below, coming to a net 90% recovery. This is attributed to the disproportionate impact of the £2 fare cap where urban fares were generally below £2, the slower recovery of concessionary pass and park & ride use, and fewer London commuters from the busy Reading railway station.
The mission
Reading Buses has a mission to connect people and places every day with an amazing team. The company considers itself an integral part of the community and works with many local authorities and stakeholder organisations to fulfil its stated vision of ‘being the best local transport of choice by constantly refreshing our services, skills and technology.’
The current year has been one of success and expansion, finally shaking off the effects of Covid-19 and renewing efforts to grow and give the people of Reading, and the surrounding area, the best possible experience and encourage more car drivers to switch to the bus.
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