Free park and ride for commuters proposal
A bid to encourage more commuters onto Stratford Park and Ride could see the service offered for free.
A proposal is being put to today’s meeting of Warwickshire County Council’s Stratford Area Committee to make the Park and Ride free to use before 9am. It is currently £1.30 for a return journey into the centre of Stratford, which includes free parking.
More and more people are using the Park and Ride service, with year on year numbers showing dramatic increases. For example in January of last year 2,372 people used the service and this January the figure was up to 7,306, and similarly February of last year saw 3,100 people use Park and Ride, and last month 7,447 people used it.
Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “I hope that the proposal to introduce free use of Park and Ride before 9am is accepted. We have seen numbers go up and up, except in the commuter hours, where usage remains very low.
“Clearly getting people onto Park and Ride and out of the town’s in the morning rush hour will help to tackle congestion and reduce the environmental impact of our cars. Cars are at their most polluting when sitting in traffic, and Park and Ride gives a very realistic alternative.”
Stratford Area Committee is also preparing to discuss possible changes to the existing Park and Ride scheme.
In a move to reduce some of the subsidy Warwickshire County Council puts into the service it is proposed to remove the Sunday service, among other minor changes.
Cllr Heatley said: “We always knew that the Park and Ride in Stratford would not make money for many years. It took Oxford ten years for their Park and Ride to start making money. However, we took a decision as a local authority to invest in the future of Stratford with Park and Ride.
“We already offer one of the cheapest Park and Rides in the country, with many charging £2, while we have taken the decision to freeze our price at £1.30. The Sunday service has not proved at all popular, so by removing this service we can look at other areas to focus upon.
“Stratford Park and Ride offers an excellent service with buses running regularly, free parking at the site at Bishopton off the A46, a clean and warm welcome centre with vending machines and toilets, CCTV, and a well lit car park.”
Customer feedback has reflected the success of the scheme so far:
“Your friendly and helpful staff in orange coats were first class”; “I think your service is excellent, and I hope that it continues. Thank you”; and “Service is great. Just need more people to use it”.
Warwickshire County Council developed the scheme and manages its operation at the site near the junction of the A46 with the A3400 Birmingham Road. Buses operated by Johnsons of Henley run from the site into Stratford town centre every ten minutes.
Stratford Park and Ride forms a key element of Warwickshire County Council’s Local Transport Plan which, over the next five years, seeks to improve people’s access to services and facilities while managing the impact on society, the environment, our economy and resources.
The county council’s Local Transport Plan specifically links Park and Ride with its Decriminalisation of Parking scheme in Stratford. This is because similar schemes operating in Cambridge, York, Nottingham, Chester, Oxford and Coventry have delivered a shift from vehicle congested urban centres to sustainable public transport. In achieving this they have also created a better, safer, cleaner environment for everyone to enjoy.