BUS services in Reading are facing an unprecedented challenge due to the number of cars in Reading according to Reading Buses CEO.

Martjin Gilbert said: "We cannot get away from the fact that many of our services are currently being severely impacted by congestion issues on our roads.

"Whilst it is always busy at this time of year, the enormity of the issues currently being faced are both unforeseen, unpredictable and highly variable.

"We want to assure customers that our front line and control room teams are doing all they can on a daily basis to deliver the best possible services and we are working hard behind the scenes in our planning team and with stakeholders such as the council to improve service reliability as quickly as possible.

"Of course switching to bus use is a quick and easy ‘win win’ in helping reduce the growing congestion on our roads and making efficient use of our compact road space.

"We hope that these awards demonstrate just how industry leading Reading Buses services are."

Tony Page, lead councillor for transport on Reading Borough Council said the town was a victim of it's own success.

"Reading has the highest proportion of bus lanes per mile of any town or city outside of London," he said.

"Although that's good, it's not good enough. We recognise more needs to be done.

"We inherited a constrained road network. Widening roads needs demolition and it's not possible so we need to use the existing roads."

He said the council was working to create new bus lanes wherever it would not impact existing road capacity.

Projects include the Mass Rapid Transit Scheme and adding an additional lane to the A33.