A BOSS has been explaining why a Tadley bus service has been terminated – just six months after relaunched.

Reading Buses has announced that its new number three service, which travels from Tadley, through Burghfield to Reading, is not making enough money to cover its costs and will be withdrawn from September 26.

The service was revised in April this year – as part of Reading Buses’ shake-up of its rural bus services and the launch of a Vitality brand – but the company said the bus route is now losing more than £5,000 a week.

Chief executive officer James Freeman said: “Although we have won some new customers to the number three service, it carries far too few people to be viable.

“Tadley enjoys good bus links to Basingstoke and it seems that most people would prefer to travel in that direction rather than to Reading.

“In other economic circumstances we might have been able to give the route longer to develop, but regrettably pressures elsewhere in the business make it impossible for us to do so.

He said Reading Buses discussed the change with Hampshire County Council and West Berkshire Council officers in case funding was available to support a replacement service, but none was available.

The 2A bus will continue a service from the Atomic Weapon’s Establishment (AWE) Main Gate to and from Reading during the week at work times, he added.

But Councillor David Leeks, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Councillor for Tadley South, called Reading Buses’ decision “diabolical”.

He said: “It’s done a disservice to Tadley – I thought it was used quite a lot.

“It’s a good service, I’ve used it several times myself, I can get on in my wheelchair and do a day’s shopping in central Reading.

“Elderly people will be affected, I know someone who catches it to visit her daughter in Reading.

“Undoubtedly more people go to Basingstoke than Reading, but in this day and age of ‘keep the car at home and use public transport’ I would have thought this would be ideal.”

Councillor Jo Slimin, chairman of Tadley Town Council, said: “They did not publicise the service well, there was no on-going promotion.

“I’m very disappointed it’s withdrawing and amazed that we went through all the consultation on buses in April to find ourselves now in this position.”

Councillor Mel Kendal, county council Executive member for environment, said: “The service was a commercial service and although we are not able to provide funding to subsidise it and keep it running, County Council officers have been working closely with West Berkshire Council to ensure commuters still have several services available that meet many of the travel needs of the communities previously served by Service three.”