MONTHLY ROUND UP JULY 2026
Welcome to our July Round Up and it’s been another busy month in North Reading. Saving the No. 22 bus route is such good news for so many members who relied on that service. It proves that a community pulling together and having a strong relationship with councillors and local service chiefs can make a difference.
BUS ROUTE 22 – SAVED FOR NOW
The proposed withdrawal of Route 22 caused deep upset and frustration across Caversham Heights. The meeting hosted by Matt Rodda MP at Highdown School brought those concerns into sharp focus. The room was full, the discussion lively, and residents spoke clearly about how the withdrawal would affect their lives. Many explained how unsuitable the X40 is as an alternative — the long walks to stops, steep gradients, ticketing incompatibility, crossing the A4074 and reliability issues are all major barriers.
CADRA Chair Nick Haskins gave a balanced report, acknowledging the difficulties but urging the Council to listen and explore the suggestions we and others have put forward. Crucially, local councillors acknowledged the scale of community concern, highlighted survey responses, and recognised the social need for this route. The Lead Councillor for Transport stated that he wanted the 22 to continue in some form and recognised the urgency.
CADRA had suggested to local councillors and the Lead Councillor for Transport that an existing government funding stream might offer a practical way forward. We were therefore pleased to see that the eventual solution followed the same principle. The Council announced that they “will provide a one-off capital grant to Reading Buses to purchase a new electric bus which, alongside the existing Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) funding grant from Government, will allow the valuable service between Caversham Heights and Reading Town Centre to continue to operate”.
Residents will have noted that the proposed timetable will still be reduced and that the subsidy has a limited timescale. Reading Buses has urged residents to make use of the bus to show support for this decision. CADRA would like to thank residents, councillors, RBC and Reading Buses for their hard work and for finding a solution. We will continue to keep the dialogue open.
Heading into the summer holiday period, we hope all our members enjoy a well‑earned break, whether staying close to home or travelling further afield. CADRA will continue to monitor local issues throughout and keep in touch with partners where needed. Wherever you are, don’t forget to look out for our August Round Up. For general queries email us: info@cadra.org.uk and for all membership Join-us.