For this week’s Reading Nostalgia, we are going back to January 2017 when the town attempted to become one of the most environmentally friendly in the country through its unique way of powering buses.

That month, the Borough Council purchased five double-decker buses at £250,000 each with the vehicles being fuelled by cow waste.

The move was to try and reduce the high emission count Reading had at the time, with the experiment being a popular hit with residents and commuters.

Available to watch via the BBC Rewind page, one person said: “It’s exciting, it’s very environmentally friendly and it will be extended to other routes throughout Reading.

Another said: “We need to do something with cow waste so let’s do something useful with it.”

During the nearly two-minute news clip on the website, Edward Sault the reporter showcased what were then revolutionary gadgets on the vehicles, but are now six years later, are regular occurrences in some forms of public transport.

For example, the free 4G wifi, USB charging ports and coat hooks got several customers excited as for some, it was the first time they had seen this on a bus.

Another feature of the eco-friendly vehicle was that it had its own phone charge for both iPhones and Androids.

You would pick the necessary cable to your phone, connect it up, and let it charge via its charging pad to refuel.

At the time, this was one of the first places to do this in the country.

One of the environmentalists who got the project off the ground said: “We have some of the poorest air quality here in the south, and as more people are coming into Reading via the bus, it’s important that Reading Buses is at the forefront of using the cleanest and greenest buses available.

Another said: “The source of the gas comes from cow waste such as their bedding, their food stock other waste products too.

“It’s got some great things on there.”

Fast forward to two years later in January 2019, Reading Buses saw their vehicles get an upgrade as part of meeting the requirements for eco-friendly public transportation in the area.

This came after Reading Borough Council secured government funding to invest in the buses after it was found that some roads in the area were at risk of nitrogen dioxide levels becoming too high.