News

New 3-day season tickets to be introduced for occasional home workers

Published

5 years ago

July 20, 2020

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Great Western Railway said the new initiative could help get thousands of workers back to their London offices after Boris Johnson urged the nation to return to work on Friday.

A major railway firm is proposing new three-day season tickets to help get the country back to work and reboot the London economy.

Great Western Railway said it’s in talks to introduce a new shorter weekday pass, in an attempt to get thousands of workers back to their London offices.

The network said it will also offer a 12-day pass which can be used at any time over 30-days.

The railway company, which runs services into London from towns and cities including Bath, Cardiff, Reading and Oxford, said: “Our research suggests commuters will travel, on average, into work three days a week, rather than the current five.”

The price of a standard class Great Western Railway annual pass from Reading to London Paddington is £5,620, or £4,736 excluding the cost of Tube travel within the capital itself.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, the independent watchdog, said: “A get-back-to-work message has got to be matched by the get-back-to-work rail products to underpin it.

“The only certainty about the future is that there will be less travel to work.

“I think the annual season ticket, except for a very few people, is probably pretty much dead.”

Rail firms will this week submit proposals to the Department of Transport to offer cut-price fares, with a view to come into force later this year.

It comes after Boris Johnson called on bosses to get Brits back to work – and claimed life could be back to normal by Christmas.

The Prime Minister said England could return to “near-normal” from August 1, but told employers the onus is on them to get staff back to work.

“Instead of government telling people to work from home, we’re going to give employers more discretion and ask them to make decisions about how their staff work safely,” he said.

“That could mean, of course, continuing to work from home which is one way of working safely and which has worked for many employers and employees.

“Whatever employers decide they should consult closely with their employees, and only ask people to return to their place of work if it is safe.”

News

Reading Misses Recycling Target as South Oxfordshire Leads Nation

Published

2 weeks ago

August 8, 2025

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Reading is falling just shy of England’s national recycling target, according to the latest government figures for 2023/24, with some nearby councils pulling well ahead.

Data released by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) reveals significant differences in how much household waste is being recycled across the south of England. While the national average sits at 44%, some councils are exceeding that by a wide margin — and others lagging far behind.

South Oxfordshire District Council leads the way for the second consecutive year, recycling 62.9% of its household waste. Close behind are the Vale of White Horse (60.7%) and Dorset Council (60.5%).

By contrast, councils like Portsmouth (27.9%), Gosport (26.3%), and Slough (24.9%) are well below the national average. Slough, which neighbours parts of Berkshire, has one of the lowest rates in the country.

In Berkshire, just three councils are currently meeting the target set in 2020 to recycle at least 50% of household waste:

Bracknell Forest – 55.7%
West Berkshire – 53.4%
Wokingham – 55.4%

Reading Borough Council recorded a recycling rate of 49.8%, narrowly missing the target. Nearby Windsor and Maidenhead also fell short, recycling 49.1% of waste.

The wide variation in performance is down to a mix of factors, including population density, housing types, and the amount of garden or organic waste being collected.

While Reading’s figures show progress, the close miss highlights the need for further improvement if the town is to meet future environmental goals and keep pace with neighbouring authorities.

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Reading Labour MPs Vote Against Assisted Dying Bill

Published

2 months ago

June 20, 2025

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A deeply emotional and historic vote took place this week. The House of Commons approved the Terminally Ill Adults Bill—law that proposes to grant terminally ill persons under English and Welsh jurisdiction the right to have assisted death by a medical practitioner if it should pass the House of Lords.

The bill passed with a thin majority of 314 votes to 291 and sparked national debates brimming with saxophonic emotion. It was a free vote; that is, members of Parliament could vote according to conscience, and the party was not expected to bind them. The bill secured the support of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer but apparently was rejected by Leader of the Conservative Party Kemi Badenoch and Health Secretary Wes Streeting.

All three of Reading’s Labour MPs, Matt Rodda (Reading Central), Olivia Bailey (Reading West and Mid Berkshire), and Yuan Yang (Earley and Woodley), voted against the bill. They may well have objections rooted in such concerns as the safeguarding of vulnerable people, possible pressure being put on those with life-limiting conditions, and just the sheer moral gravity of a change of that kind.

For many people in Reading and elsewhere, this bill goes well beyond politics. It arises out of dignity, choice, and compassion for the hardest moment. Respect goes to those who voted with care and conviction; passing of this bill has been another step toward giving people in unbearable suffering the freedom to choose how and when their life ends-on their terms, with support, been one of the options, and without pain. It’s a difficult subject to deal with, but at its basic level, one of a few simple human desires is to die with dignity.

News

Reading Buses Fares to Rise from 2nd June as Government Cuts Funding

Published

3 months ago

June 1, 2025

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From Sunday 2 June, fare adjustments will take effect across the Reading Buses network. Updated pricing details are outlined below.

These changes have been introduced in response to rising operational costs, including higher employer National Insurance contributions and changes in government support. For most passengers, the fare increase will be minimal. In many cases, customers can avoid the higher fares by choosing multi-journey, weekly, or season tickets.

Government Fare Cap

On routes where single fares exceed £3, prices will continue to be capped at £3 as part of the UK Government’s Help for Households initiative.

Changes to Reading All-Bus Tickets

Government funding that previously subsidised the Reading All-Bus day ticket ended in March. As a result of this and increasing costs, some All-Bus ticket prices have been raised.

Updated Fare Information

Single Fares within Reading
Single journey fares will increase by 10p.

simplyReading Day Tickets

Adult: £4.50 via the app or contactless tap on, tap off; £5 if purchased from the driver
Boost (for young people): £4, available both via the app and from the driver
Group ticket (valid for up to 4 people):
- £8 during off-peak hours (after 9.30am on weekdays, and all day on weekends and bank holidays)
- £10 during peak hours (before 9.30am on weekdays)
- Available on the app and from the driver

Reading All-Bus Tickets
Valid for travel on Reading Buses, Thames Valley Buses, Carousel Buses, and Thames Travel within the simplyReading zone.

Adult: £4.90 via the app or tap on, tap off; £5.40 from the driver,
(Currently, it costs £4 on the app and £4.50 on the bus)
Young person (under 18): £4.20 (currently £3 if bought on the app)
Group ticket: £8.80 off-peak / £10.80 peak