Efforts are underway to discourage lorry and HGV drivers from using roads in Caversham and Reading as shortcuts to access the M4, amid rising concerns over road safety. Recent incidents, including lorries getting stuck under bridges and collisions with structures, have highlighted the risks posed by heavy vehicles in the area.

Calls have been made to encourage drivers coming from Oxfordshire to use alternative routes, such as the A34 leading to Junction 13 at Chieveley, instead of cutting through Reading. Notable accidents last year included lorries becoming wedged under the Caversham Road railway bridge and another colliding with a university building on Redlands Road.

Reading MP Matt Rodda raised the issue in a parliamentary debate on road safety, urging for better cooperation between Oxfordshire County Council and Reading Borough Council to address the problem. He criticised the lack of joint action, describing the current situation as “unacceptable,” and called for a preventative approach to road safety to reduce unnecessary injuries and fatalities.

Reading Borough Council is exploring measures to tackle through-traffic, including potential charges for vehicles, such as HGVs, that pass through the town without a destination there. Councillor John Ennis, responsible for climate strategy and transport, highlighted how through-traffic contributes to congestion and poor air quality, issues he said must be addressed urgently.