ELDERLY residents will be trapped in their homes if further cuts are made to bus services in Caversham, campaigners have said.

Reading Buses is currently in consultation with Reading Borough Council over proposals to further reduce provisions to three routes across Caversham, Caversham Heights and Emmer Green.

Campaigners are furious that the consultation has not been made public, and are urging residents to make their concerns known by July 31.

The proposed changes include a reduction to an hourly off-peak service and a two-hourly Sunday service on the 25 route; a reduction to a 30-minute service Monday to Saturday, and an hourly Sunday service on the 23/24 route; and for the 22 to terminate at Friar Street, ceasing a cross-town service.

Helen Lambert, of the Caversham and District Residents Association (CADRA) said: “We are very concerned about these proposals. There are a lot of people who would prefer to use the bus to get around, but if the service is reduced they will have no choice but to use their car.

“Air pollution and traffic congestion is already a major concern around Caversham, so we welcome any efforts to reduce this, but without a reliable bus service there will be no incentive for people to leave their cars at home.”

Fellow CADRA member Fiona Pringle said: “I think there is a lot of prejudice towards the residents of Caversham. I think there is a belief that people can afford to use cars and taxis, so don’t need a regular bus service, but this simply isn’t the case. We have a lot of elderly residents who are already isolated in their homes due to the recent cuts, I have neighbours who would rather rely on relatives and friends to bring them their shopping and run their errands rather than wait outside for a bus for up to an hour.

Helen added: “With the closure of Priory Road surgery recently, a lot of patients are having to relocate to other GP surgeries. It isn’t fair to expect someone who is ill to wait up to an hour for a bus, or to have to change buses just to get to their appointment on time.

“Martijn Gilbert, the CEO of Reading Buses, has had plenty of opportunity to raise this issue with us, but so far we have heard nothing from him.

MP for Reading East, Matt Rodda said: “Reading is one of only three places in the UK which has seen a rise in bus usage in recent years, we need to capitalise on this and provide residents with a reliable service that the town can be proud of.

“As well as elderly residents who rely on the service, we have young people who are just starting work and cannot afford a car yet, people who simply do not want to use their car, and children who we want to encourage a life-long use of buses, all of these people benefit from a regular, reliable service, and we will continue to campaign for a better deal for Caversham.”

A Reading Buses spokesman said: "No further wider consultation is being held with these changes as they build on all of the points covered in the last consultation exercise which was only concluded at the end of last year. Reading Buses recognises that people need to be aware of these changes in advance, hence why it has written to RBC Councillors and other Stakeholders well in advance of usual to brief them and is now issuing a media statement.

"All bus stops in Caversham will continue to be served by the same bus routes as they are today, including for the Priory Avenue GP’s Surgery, but there will be some changes to some frequencies to match actual demand and also better deal with the effects of congestion, helping make buses more reliable.

"The company was very clear for the need for these services to see growth to be sustained following the last changes nearly six months ago. Routes like the 23, 24 and 25 did not see any of the proposed efficiencies implemented in the last changes. Reading Buses works hard to market its services within its available means and does far more than most bus companies, including brightly coloured and individually branded buses, comprehensive timetable leaflet, its own Bus stop information posters and has recently invested in a new website and improved smartphone app. The company has also recently invested in leaflet racks and a new inspectors and Information point at Reading Railway station to help improve integrated transport, as well as running a month long bus marketing campaign promoting the affordability of bus services across its whole network, including Caversham. Furthermore routes 23 and 24 have also seen a fleet of heavily upgraded buses rolled out over recent months, all featuring more prominent external route branding.”