ATTEMPTS are afoot to get Slough on to the London transport network, in a bid to give commuters and leisure passengers a better deal than they currently have travelling to the capital.

The leader of Slough Borough Council (SBC), Cllr Sohail Munawar, has already contacted the Mayor of London’s office over the matter, The Observer learned on Tuesday.

The council is scoping options which would give the borough better access to the capital with the ticket concession benefits that surrounding London boroughs, which are close by, already have.

Slough currently just falls outside Transport for London’s Red Routes for buses which go to the boundaries of nearby Hillingdon and Hounslow.

But last year the council became an observing member of the West London Alliance (WLA) which includes Barnet, Harrow, Hillingdon and Hounslow councils. It allows SBC to learn more about how those surrounding London boroughs work, including in regard to their transport arrangements.

Deputy leader of SBC, Cllr Sabia Hussain (Lab, Central), told a Young Person’s Question Time event on Tuesday that the council were continuing the efforts of former MP, Fiona Mactaggart.

She later told The Observer: “Even if it is just the easiest option with the Hounslow line being extended to link in, we need to have access.

“We have started to do some investigative work with boroughs who are outside London but have some of the advantages.”

She added a note of caution, saying: “The last borough to do it (join the London transport network) was 70 to 80 years ago so we don’t know...

“Even with the WLA, they were surprised at how close we are to London. We still have to have a formal meeting to see what can be done, also regarding lobbying, and I think the public’s voice will be very important in that.

“In the long term if we can get the bus links that will be an improvement on what we have right now – especially considering the number of people we have commuting into West London.”