A report updating on progress towards the delivery of the current programme of strategic transport schemes in Reading. The report also seeks spend and scheme approval to make use of an additional £1.3m of grant funding that the Council has secured from Government to expand the electric bus fleet by eight more vehicles and to provide them with the required charging infrastructure.

The Committee considered a report on the progress made towards the delivery of the current programme of strategic transport schemes in Reading. The programme included several major enhancements to public transport and active travel schemes and initiatives that were aimed at encouraging more healthy lifestyles, reducing pollution and carbon emissions, and supporting sustainable economic growth in the Borough.

Each of the strategic transport schemes outlined in the report were fully aligned with the Council’s new Local Transport Plan (the Reading Transport Strategy 2040) and its sub-strategies, with the delivery of each individual scheme contributing towards achieving the Stategy’s overall vision.

The report contained progress updates on the following individual schemes and initiatives:

• Public Transport Programme – Electric Buses.
• Public Transport Programme – Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
• Public Transport Programme – Tilehurst Station Accessibility Enhancements.
• The Active Travel Programme.

The report also sought spend and scheme approval as the Council had recently secured a further £1.3 million of grant funding from the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) Zero Emissions Bus Region Area (ZEBRA) fund.  This was in addition to the £4.7m the Council had already secured from the fund and would be used to expand the electric bus fleet by a further eight vehicles and to provide those additional vehicles with the necessary charging infrastructure.  The report stated that Reading Buses planned to deploy the additional eight electric buses on the Yellow 26 route that served the town centre, Southcote, Ford’s Farm and Calcot.

Resolved –

(1)           That the progress made towards the delivery of the current programme of strategic transport schemes, as summarised in the report, be noted.

(2)           That spend and scheme approval for the additional £1.3m of grant funding that the Council had secured from Government to increase the roll-out of electric buses in Reading by a further 8 electric buses, including the associated changing infrastructure, be granted.