A prewar AEC Regent, a birthday cake, souvenir tickets and a fivevehicle running day all helped Reading Buses celebrate 100 years of continuous municipal motorbus operation in the Thames Valley town
On a rainy day that mirrored the inaugural bus journey in 1919, Reading Buses celebrated 100 years of continuous municipal bus operation in the town on 6 December and again with a vintage bus running event two days later.
Chief executive officer Robert Williams was joined by the mayor, Cllr Paul Woodward, representatives of the Reading Buses leadership team, company retirees, long serving members of staff and some of its newest recruits for a re-creation of the inaugural service from Caversham Heights (Harrogate Road) to Tilehurst (The Plough) via the town centre.
Starting from the civic offices in the town centre, initially aboard one of the council-owned company’s newest doubledeckers, biogas-fuelled Alexander Dennis Enviro400CBG City-bodied Scania N280UD 707, they were met in Caversham Heights by the oldest surviving Reading bus, 1935 Park Royal-bodied AEC Regent 47 (RD 7127), complete with driver and conductor suitably attired. The presence of this vehicle, said to have the oldest surviving metal-frame…
