Green Park Match Day Parking

[3points]

Green Park off limits again today. Going to have to mock up a staff pass for somewhere.

[tmesis]

Mereoak a nightmare today.

They appear to have been reducing the number of buses after the game. I got to the queue at 4.55.

At 5.20, with no sight of any buses turning up, I walked back. I was one of many.

At 5.45 I arrived back at Mereoak P&R, joining the queue of people having words with the guy in the hut about the situation.

About a minute later, a P&R bus turned up. I didn't see a single one go past walking up, so that was the 1st bus after 4.55.


It was good last season, but it looks like the council have decided to save money by only running one bus after the game. I missed the game last week, but a mate said he didn't get on a bus until 6 pm.

[leon]

Mereoak a nightmare today.

They appear to have been reducing the number of buses after the game. I got to the queue at 4.55.

At 5.20, with no sight of any buses turning up, I walked back. I was one of many.

At 5.45 I arrived back at Mereoak P&R, joining the queue of people having words with the guy in the hut about the situation.

About a minute later, a P&R bus turned up. I didn't see a single one go past walking up, so that was the 1st bus after 4.55.


It was good last season, but it looks like the council have decided to save money by only running one bus after the game. I missed the game last week, but a mate said he didn't get on a bus until 6 pm.

Two weeks running that's been a 35 minute wait. This week with two kids in the pissing rain.

Unacceptable service. It's not as if the pricks don't know when the demand is.

[MR. CYNICAL]

Find it cheaper,quicker and easier to walk both ways.

[tmesis]

Find it cheaper,quicker and easier to walk both ways.

I go with a mate, so it's only a fiver between us if you buy a group ticket, and it used to be quick. Last season I was always back at the P&R by 5.15.

I just sent off a complaint (either via http://www.reading-buses.co.uk/contact-us/ or customerservices@reading-buses.co.uk) which was a bit of a rant, but it ended with these three questions.


1) has there been a decision to reduce the number of buses after the game? If so why? If not, they why are you failing so badly at getting buses there after the game. It's not as if crowds are higher this season compared to last. In fact they are lower.

2) what are you going to do to improve the dreadful and unacceptably poor service after the games this season?

3) what are you going to do about the people who paid for a return ticket, who gave up and walked because there didn't appear to be any buses coming on Saturday?

[leon]

I will be emailing them also. Really not happy.

[3points]

Don't know if Mereoak P&R was affected by traffic. I was parked in Green Park and it's never taken me so long to exit. An hour to get home. Not even in the days of sell out crowds has it taken that long.

[paultheroyal]

Felt for you guys yesterday.

Been blagging my way in to green park last 2 occasions but certainly yesterday I could see the pissed off faces and the long queues.

Hope they sort it.

[RoyalBlue]

Find it cheaper,quicker and easier to walk both ways.

I go with a mate, so it's only a fiver between us if you buy a group ticket, and it used to be quick. Last season I was always back at the P&R by 5.15.

I just sent off a complaint (either via http://www.reading-buses.co.uk/contact-us/ or customerservices@reading-buses.co.uk) which was a bit of a rant, but it ended with these three questions.


1) has there been a decision to reduce the number of buses after the game? If so why? If not, they why are you failing so badly at getting buses there after the game. It's not as if crowds are higher this season compared to last. In fact they are lower.

2) what are you going to do to improve the dreadful and unacceptably poor service after the games this season?

3) what are you going to do about the people who paid for a return ticket, who gave up and walked because there didn't appear to be any buses coming on Saturday?

I would also email Jackie Evans at the club and ask them to get onto Reading Buses and the council abut this. After all, the club should have something of a vested interest in this, particularly as Howe is already pushing park and ride as the solution to the awful matchday parking problems that the REP development will create. Supporters will only put up with so much parking and transportation aggro before they start voting with their feet and staying away, rather than walking.

Charles Watts might also be interested in running a story on this.

[leon]

sniffy email sent. RFC copied.

[Forbury Lion]

Anyone use the Foster Wheeler Park and Ride? - I'm thinking about it as an alternative to catching the F31 as it's cheaper and will likely allow me to catch the bus later and get to the game closer to kick off instead of an hour before.

[Clyde1998]

Based on what I've experienced since the start of the season - it appears that they only have someone on the entrance to Green Park for weekend games. There wasn't anyone there for the midweek games that we've had, so far. I would hazard a guess that Green Park employ someone to prevent anyone (not just football traffic) from going down there at the weekend, without good reason.

[leon]

sniffy email sent. RFC copied.

and the cnuts haven't even bothered to reply.

[marlowuk]

Anyone use the Foster Wheeler Park and Ride? - I'm thinking about it as an alternative to catching the F31 as it's cheaper and will likely allow me to catch the bus later and get to the game closer to kick off instead of an hour before.

I always use this option and it has worked well for me for the last 3 years! Parking is free and the bus is (I think) £4 return. (As an Old Fart I have a bus pass so it's all free for me!)

[marlowuk]

Addendum to the above ...

Foster Wheeler also has 2 pubs close by. The Black Boy (closer but expensive) and The Three Bells (very cheap for food and drink).

[tmesis]

sniffy email sent. RFC copied.

and the cnuts haven't even bothered to reply.

Same here. No response at all.

Did you use the contact form from the site, or the customer services email address?

[leon]

sniffy email sent. RFC copied.

and the cnuts haven't even bothered to reply.

Same here. No response at all.

Did you use the contact form from the site, or the customer services email address?

Customer services.

The club responded saying they were in talks with the company,

Going to send another if I don't hear.

[Green]

Yeh I think this one needs escalating leon.

[Elm Park Kid]

Is it really worth doing the park and ride when you can easily park for free within a 20 minute walk of the stadium? Ok, you've got to deal with the traffic but if the transfer bus is unreliable then it's not a big issue.

[paultheroyal]

What was the issue coming out of green park yesterday... looked utter chaos. Luckily I was heading Costco way and surprisingly clear.

Also, considering barriers are now up it is surprising how many Reading FC fans actually work on that site