Caversham’s controversial cut

Thursday 16th July 2026 Readers have likely noticed many blogs so far this year have featured the welcome introduction of new bus routes and there’s more to come over the next few weeks as yet more new routes take to the roads this summer. But for today I’ve taken a look at what has become something of an unusual development – the withdrawal of an urban bus route running roughly every half hour during peak periods and hourly off peak. It’s Reading Buses’ route 22 which connects Caversham Heights with the town centre and will run for the last time this Saturday leaving many residents without a bus service within a reasonably close walking distance of their homes. As you’d expect there have been complaints and protests from those affected including a public meeting organised by the local MP and attended by councillors and 140 local people. An online petition had reached over 2,500 signatures when I checked last night. But as always with these things, the main criteria is not how many…