COMMUTERS will have to wait longer to use a new park and ride bus service while the potential cost to council taxpayers rises “significantly”.

A new park and ride car park is opening this month at Thames Valley Park, with the aim of reducing congestion on the A4.

But the bus service taking commuters from the car park into central Reading won’t be ready yet, as Wokingham Borough Council still needs to choose a company to run the buses.

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Originally, the business park agreed to drive a shuttle bus to the car park, in return for half of the income from parking fees. But now they are asking the council for more money.

Councillor Pauline Jorgensen, lead for transport, said: “Unfortunately, Thames Valley Park are now reluctant to divert their bus without significantly higher financial contribution from the borough council.”

The decision to use the business park’s shuttle bus was made three years ago, when the car park received planning permission.

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Because Thames Valley Park are asking for more money, the council is putting the contract out to tender, meaning a different company could run the bus service. But it is unclear how much that will cost.

Cllr Paul Fishwick, at a meeting of the council executive on April 22, said: “The borough council must have an estimated cost of running this service.

“What is it compared to the previous 50per cent contribution previously offered by Thames Valley Park, and how will that be funded?”

But Cllr Jorgensen said it would be “unwise” to give details of the costs.

She said: “It would be very unwise for me to share in public any estimates we might have of the cost of something we’re about to tender, so I certainly won’t do that. Otherwise you can more or less guarantee what the answers to the tender will be.

“I’m hoping with the tender we’ll actually get a good price.”

There are a total of 258 parking spaces at the new car park for commuters to use.

It will cost £6 for an all-day ticket between Monday to Friday. At weekends and bank holidays, parking charges will be £1.50 per hour up to four hours and then a maximum of £6 for more than four hours.

The intention is to use the money from parking fees to pay for the bus service. But until the council chooses a company to run the buses, it is unclear how much that contract will cost.