www.buszone.co.uk
June 2012
< Last Month | News Archive | Next Month >
Last Day of Reading Goldline on route 142
02-06-12
Today marked Reading Transport's final day running Oxfordshire County Council contracted route 142 to Checkendon, before the route returns to it's previous operator Thames Travel from Wednesday. This follows a round of retendering by the Council in the run up to the end of the current four year contract. The route runs out of Reading along the Oxford Road to Pangbourne, forming half of a combined hourly frequency with West Berkshire Council funded route 133 (previously numbered 132) run by Thames Travel. From Pangbourne the 142 continues to Whitchurch, Goring Heath, Woodcote and Checkendon.
The route was run by Reading Transport's contracts and private hire division Goldline. Optare Solo 122 was dedicated to the route for most of the contract's duration, although it was recently replaced with Wright Streetlite 156 which featured on the last day. Both of these vehicles were to Goldline specification without driver assault screens or cash vaults fitted, although 156 will now be fitted with these to allow it to be used on other routes. The route has been driven by a pair of regular drivers to provide a friendlier and more localised service for this largely rural route.
156 preparing to run the final departure in service from Checkendon Post Office this afternoon.
156 leaving the Old Bus Reading on the final journey at 1815.
Former 122 on 14th June 2008.
< Last Month | News Archive | Next Month >