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Traffic and Travel

Wokingham Borough Connect

Travel for free this festive season

If you are looking to travel anywhere in the borough on Saturdays this festive season, you can take the bus for free, as plans were approved last week.

Local bus routes will be free to all every Saturday from 18 November until 23 December, for those boarding in Wokingham borough, funded by a national grant.

Routes included:

Reading Buses on Saturdays 18 November to 23 December:

• Leopard 3
• Lion 4 and 4X
• Route 9
• Orange 13 and 14
• Little Oranges 19a-c
• Claret 21 and 21a
• Route 600 & 603

Thames Valley Buses on Saturdays 18 November to 23 December:

• Route 121
• Route 122 and 123
• Route 124
• Route 125 and 125A and B
• Route 127, 128 and 129.

Sunday 26 November:

• Reading Buses Lion 4 and 4X

Sunday 3 December:

• Reading Buses Orange 13 and 14

Representatives from Wokingham Borough Council, Flowbird, SSEN and VolkerHighways

We’ve got the power with new vehicle chargers

Electric vehicle chargepoints are now available in 18 more locations thanks to a £173,500 contribution from the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles (OZEV).

We’ve installed them in residential streets and car parks - and Flowbird, the supplier, is also helping towards the cost, to ensure no net expense to taxpayers.

They work on using Flowbird’s pay-as-you-go smartphone app, which is free and easy to use, and are available around the clock.

You’ll find them at:

• Wokingham - William Heelas Way, Pigott Road, St Paul’s Gate and Rose Street, Denmark Street and Cockpit Path car parks
• Twyford - Station Road, Polehampton Close (East) permit holders’ car park
• Earley - Westminster Way, Maiden Place, Station Road car park
• Winnersh – Chatsworth Avenue
• Woodley - Wheble Drive, Pitford Road and Headley Road car parks
• Arborfield - Bramshill Close
• Finchampstead - Roycroft Lane
• Wargrave - Braybrooke Road

Our thanks to Scottish and Southern Energy Networks (SSEN) and VolkerHighways for supporting the installation works.

These chargepoints will help residents to adopt electric vehicles, in turn helping us honour our climate emergency goals. We’re applying for more OZEV funding soon, so if you think your street would benefit then let us know.

Did you know...

Just because you can't see someone working at roadworks, it doesn't mean nothing is happening?

There are a number of reasons that work might not be taking place despite areas of the road being closed. Here are just a few:

• When concrete and other materials, such new road surfaces, are drying, it takes time for them to reach the required strength in order for vehicles to drive or pedestrians to walk safely over it.
• Gas leaks can be fixed by spraying the inside of a main which takes time to dry before the main can be tested to ensure that the repair has worked. New sections of a main are pressure tested over a period to check for leaks.
• Parts need to be specially made in some cases and certain materials are difficult to get hold of. 
• An area of the road may have been undermined by a water leak or a collapsed sewer and it is not safe to open the road to traffic as the road may collapse.
• On larger projects, work may be taking place elsewhere. The scheme may require works in nearby locations whilst other excavations are still open. One example is jointing electricity mains, as it’s not practical to always close the joint hole whilst other mains are being laid.
• Service connections require work on private property. For a private gas supply, there is the connection to mains in the road or footway but a connection is also needed in the property. It is not practical to reinstate the excavation whilst this takes place in case further work is necessary in the road.
• They may have left the site to collect additional materials or for a break, especially in adverse weather.
• When a new water main is installed, the new pipes need pressure testing and then chlorination. After 36 hours, a sample is taken to ensure it is safe to use. The site does not need to be manned during this period but it is inefficient to remove traffic management in case further work is needed.

This list is not conclusive of course, but covers some of the main reasons, especially that the gang may simply be having a break that they are legally entitled to take. They work in difficult conditions and this is important from a safeguarding perspective.

Motorists warned about dangers of driving through a ford

The Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) are reminding people of the dangers of driving through a ford, after there have been a number of incidents where vehicles have been washed downstream at Land's End Ford in Charvil. Without the swift intervention of emergency services, these could have resulted in tragedy.

All fords, including Land's End Ford, can become impassable very quickly following torrential rain, but some motorists are ignoring warning signs and attempt to cross when conditions aren't suitable.

The approaches to Land's End Ford from both the Charvil end and the Whistley Green end can often be submerged in water, sometimes giving the driver a false sense that they can continue, however, the water depth of the ford can increase significantly.

Drivers should always exercise caution in this area and if there is any doubt then please turn around and use an alternative route.

Earlier this year an elderly couple were rescued by RBFRS after their car was swept down river and more recently a mother and her children had to swim from their car.

These incidents could easily have resulted in loss of life.

For more steps you can take to stay safe in wet weather, visit the RBFRS website.

Upcoming roadworks

Keeping up to date

• For planned and emergency roadworks, follow our Twitter and Facebook pages 
• To find out about roadworks near you, visit One.network
• For active and sustainable travel, including events, training and resources, visit MyJourney Wokingham 
• Visit our major new roads page for plans and updates
• For information on re-surfacing and reactive carriageway repairs visit our pothole and road repairs page 
• You can report any issues with roads and streets online, including street lights, problems with traffic lights, potholes, damaged street furniture, problems with road markings and removal of dead animals. 
• On our parking and permits page, you can find information including car parks and costs around the borough, resident parking permits, park and ride services and appealing a parking fine.
• Our transport and travel page includes information on applying for a senior citizen or disabled person's bus and train pass and local public transport information.
• The blue parking badges page has information on applying for, using, replacing and returning your blue badge.