Reading Buses have scrapped the tiger 7 route due to Covid-19 and a lack of users.

The tiger 7 route ran between Reading Station and Fleet Railway Station, via Basingstoke Road, Three Mile Cross, Spencers Wood and Swallowfield.

Its final day of running was Sunday, 16 January.

A statement from the company said: "We will be suspending the tiger 7 from Monday 17 January until further notice. 

"The main reason is that some long term roadworks between Hartley Wintney and Fleet are causing a significant fall in the number of people able to get to the service.

"We have also seen a vastly reduced number of customers using this service since the start of the pandemic.

"On top of those issues, we have also been experiencing the effects of the Omnicron wave on our employee availability.

"The number of our drivers available for work at any one time has dropped and, whilst we are still in a much better position that other operators nationally, we are finding it difficult to cover all our routes effectively."

 

 

Although there remain alternatives for most of the route, those in Riseley and Swallowfield will see the biggest impact.

The statement continued: "Customers of the tiger 7 who use it on the Basingstoke Road in Reading or for Three Mile Cross and Spencers Wood still have the choice using emerald 6 and leopard 8/9.

"There is the Stagecoach route 7 that runs between Hartley Wintney and Fleet, however unfortunately there is currently no alternative for customers for Riseley and Swallowfield.

"We apologise to our customers who will be affected by this decision, but unfortunately at this time we have no choice but to suspend the service."

This is not the only route affected by Covid019, with some football services on matchday scrapped for Reading FC matches, as well as the ruby 10, greenwave 50 and Mereoak park & ride seeing adjustments.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THESE CHANGES PLEASE GET IN TOUCH, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR EXPERIENCES.