Following the introduction of a further lockdown, Reading Buses has placed a pause on active mobile tickets and says it has no plans to reduce service levels.
Jake Osman, Marketing and Communications Manager for Reading Buses said: “Following the Government decision to lockdown until 2 December, people should stay at home if possible. We are able to give our mobile app users an instant ticket pause with easy re-activation, either immediately (such as for key workers) or at a later date, so that they won’t lose out on travel already paid for. For those still using our services, our apps, which show live bus locations and occupancy levels will help ensure that you can plan your essential journeys with confidence over the next four weeks”.
The company says it is keen to put customers’ minds at ease as they pledge to maintain their normal services until the government tells them otherwise. Chief Executive Officer Robert Williams said: “The main thing we want people to know is that we are still here for them. Although this is the second national lockdown we have all been part of, it is slightly different to the first.
“People will still need to make journeys to shops for essential items, to work if they can’t work from home and to get to places of education. For this reason, we need to make sure that we have enough buses to get people to where they need to go and provide plenty of space for social distancing.”
The company will continue to maintain their current level of service until Government, or local authority, guidance changes.
Robert also announced the launch of a brand-new ticket to help people save money – even if they are travelling less: “With the changing patterns of the working world, we are excited to be launching daysaver5. Designed for people who still need to travel with us, but maybe not as frequently, daysaver5 will complement our existing 7 day and easysaver10 tickets. Customers pick the days they travel and still save money – with savings of at least 20%.
“This new product completes the set to allow customers total flexibility on their travel. Each day is used independently so you could travel on a Monday and then still have four days left to travel later in the week, the following week or even after lockdown. Crucially, there is no expiry date.”
