Buses fitted with jukeboxes and Lego tables in bid to encourage university students to use them

Buses in Reading, Berkshire, have been decked out with jukeboxes, a mini library and Lego play tables in a bid to encourage more university students to use the service. Four buses on the 21a route from Reading Station to Whiteknights campus will have top decks kitted out with a "pioneering on-board experience".



Reading Buses boss Martijn Gilbert said he hoped the buses would create a "buzz" among students and staff. The buses will be on the road during term time from October. The Claret Spritzer fleet will include a "plush lounge area", a gaming zone and a micro library with an honesty book exchange service as part of a trial service.

The fully-carpeted upper deck also includes a juke box that customers sitting in the rear lounge seats can connect to via Bluetooth or a cable. The lower decks will remain as standard. Mr Gilbert said: "We hope that by pushing the boundaries of seating layouts and harnessing the latest technologies these rather different buses will create quite a buzz about bus travel in Reading.



"We want people to be enthused about buses around the university and encourage even more students, staff and visitors on board." The buses were withdrawn from other routes and refurbished at a cost of £20,000 each to "give them a new lease of life". Discussing the inclusion of Lego tables to attract adults, a bus spokesman said: "There is evidence of Lego being appreciated by all ages these days, however it only occupies one table and will be monitored to see how it is perceived."