Park and Ride milestone
A milestone has been reached for Stratford Park and Ride with just under 12,000 passenger journeys undertaken in August.
This represents a 75 per cent increase on the previous wet weather ravaged month of July 2007.
The usage was also well up on the same period last year, with more than 2,500 extra people using the park and ride this year compared to August last year.
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.
This will mean that from the end of this month buses will not run from the site on Sundays, with Sunday, September 30, the last Sunday of operations until Easter of next year. There will also be no service on Boxing Day and New Years Day.
Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “It’s incredibly hard work to get people to change the habit of a lifetime and get out of their cars and use something like park and ride. It took Oxford many years to make their scheme a success and I’m delighted to see such great usage here in Stratford for the month of August.”
John Deegan, Warwickshire County Council’s Strategic Director for the Environment and Economy Directorate, said: “Stratford Park and Ride is a part of an overall strategic plan for Warwickshire’s transport issues, contained within the Local Transport Plan. We always knew it was not something that was going to be a success overnight. The Park and Ride in Stratford is key in improving people’s access to services and facilities while managing the impact on society, the environment, our economy and resources.
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”.