Council rejects Shrewsbury park and ride criticisms

Councillor Simon Jones, the council's cabinet member for highways and transport, said he believed passengers will see no difference to the previous service.

Shropshire Council introduced a new timetable for in October.

Under the changes all three park and ride sites at Meole Brace, Harlescott, and Oxon were retained, although there are fewer buses running per hour, with one every 20 minutes instead of "up to every 10 minutes" and "up to every 15 minutes". Buses also now stop running at 6.20pm.

The changes have been criticised by Shropshire Council's Liberal Democrat leader Roger Evans, who said he had received complaints over buses being full and that the situation could lead to people considering shopping elsewhere.

However, Councillor Jones has said the re-design has ensured that the park and ride service will continue because the council will no longer have to subsidise it.

He also said that passenger numbers have remained consistent despite the changes.

He said: "Following a redesign of the Shrewsbury park and ride service and its re-tender, the cost to Shropshire Council for this contract will be reduced from £369,000 in 2014/15 to £0 in 2016/17.

"Passenger numbers have remained at consistent levels over this period and we are hopeful that the introduction of new environmentally-friendly buses in 2017/18 will help to attract further passengers to the service."

Councillor Jones said the council was happy with the service and would not consider adding extra buses except in the case of "exceptional circumstances" such as flooding.

He said: "We are confident that the new park and ride service provides passengers with the same level of service that it has previously, with bus frequencies set at achievable times. In addition to this, we are liaising with the operator Arriva to identify occasions when additional vehicles may be required in exceptional circumstances, such as flooding and the subsequent unavailability of car parks."

Councillor Evans had warned that delays getting buses would lead to shoppers going to Telford or Birmingham instead.

He said: "I have had comments from my area to say that with alterations in timings people are having to queue for the park and ride. What it means is some people are not going to Shrewsbury, they are going to that place to the east of us. I do not want them to go there."