ALL CHANGE
Council to axe park and ride?
Maidstone’s failing park and ride service is set to be axed as the search for a commercial operator gets under way.
The borough council introduced a new pay and park system for four months from June, but figures showed the scheme cost a staggering £1,250 per peak time user.
It was decided drastic action had to be taken to stop a haemorrhage of cash after costing the council £212,000 between June and September.
During a strategic planning, sustainability and transportation committee meeting at Town Hall, it was revealed the four-month period brought in just £65,000 identifying a deficit of £49,000 against the council’s budget.
After three hours of discussion, the committee voted in favour of finding a commercial operator to keep any form of the park and ride from sites in Willington Street and London Road alive.
From June 1 park and ride users were told they would pay £2.50 per car in an attempt to reduce the number of vehicles making their way into Maidstone.
However, a ratio of just 1.07 people per car at peak time showed there was very little improvement and just 155 cars were removed from the road as a result of the changes.
Other options included retaining the current car parks and making links available to the town centre with transport options such as cycling, electric bike hire and walking. The final option the council was reluctant to choose was to cease all park and ride and close the car parks.