Free park and ride for commuters go ahead
Commuters will be able to travel for free on Stratford’s Park and Ride from this summer.
In a bid to further reduce congestion and improve the environment in the town centre, the Stratford the Park and Ride service is being offered free to commuters travelling before 9am.
It will be available from Stratford Park & Ride site at Bishopton off the A46, and will be launched from Monday, July 2.
Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet recently supported the proposal, which could save a commuter more than £100 a month (based on paying in a long stay car park every day).
After 9am, a £1.30 return fare will be payable for each adult travelling, and up to two children travel free with each fare payer.
Buses run every 10 to 15 minutes from the site every day from April to September, but not on Sundays and Bank Holidays through the winter months.
Increasing numbers of people are using the Stratford Park and Ride, with a 23 per cent increase in passenger numbers this Easter compared to last year, but members of the county council’s Cabinet would like to encourage more commuters to use the service.
Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “We have seen numbers go up and up, except in the commuter hours, where usage remains very low.
“Clearly getting people onto the Stratford Park and Ride and out of the town centre 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 the Stratford Park and Ride gives a very realistic alternative.
“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”.
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.