West Berkshire free bus rides to help with living cost pressures

Several villages will also have new services on Saturdays

Bus journeys in some areas of Berkshire will be free until next month to help people struggling with cost of living pressures and reduce carbon emissions.

Free travel will be available within west Berkshire on 17, 19 and 26 November as well as every Saturday in December until Christmas Eve.

Some villages which do not usually have services on Saturdays will get free ones throughout the same period.

Bus journeys to Reading, Basingstoke and Swindon will also be free.

The initiative has been announced by West Berkshire Council and will affect people travelling within and from the council's boundary.

Special service

The return journey for those travelling beyond the local authority's border will also be free.

Villages such as Beedon, Frilsham, Streatley and Ufton Nervet are among those which do not usually have a bus service on Saturdays but will get one until next month.

The new services will take residents to several destinations including Newbury or Thatcham.

A special service to Thatcham for the French market will be available on 10 December from places such as Beenham, Aldermaston, Bucklebury, Southend Cold Ash, Tidmarsh and Upper Bucklebury.

Residents who wish to use the new Saturday services will need to book by 12:00 GMT on the Friday before.

The initiative has been developed by the West Berkshire Enhanced Bus Partnership, a partnership between West Berkshire Council, Reading Buses, Newbury & District, Thames Travel and Stagecoach.

Free bus travel will be available on these operators' services and the council's own Connect buses.

Going Forward Buses will also run free services on 17 November.