Doncaster’s new Park and Ride service has had a successful first month with usage in line with expectations.
Building on this success, South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) is now launching a targeted marketing campaign aimed at commuters and shoppers.
It is asking major employers in the town to encourage their employees to Park and Ride, giving them savings on town centre car parking and a less stressful journey into town.
And it will be working with some of the town’s major retailers to develop special offers for Park and Ride users to encourage the use of Park and Ride for shopping as well as work.
David Young, Head of Transport Integration at SYPTE, said: “New Park and Ride schemes traditionally take a while to become established. Evidence from elsewhere in the country suggests it can take up to three years before the car parks are full.
“We are pleased with the first month of Doncaster’s new Park and Ride service and patronage has risen by 60 per cent since the first week of opening. We expect to see patronage grow steadily as more people come to appreciate the benefits of the new service.”
Brandon Jones, Deputy Managing Director of First South Yorkshire which is running the Park and Ride bus service, said: "In our experience this has been an extremely encouraging start to the Park and Ride service and we are seeing a steady increase in passengers from week to week."
Two new 400-space car parks opened on 1 September: one on Bawtry Road to the south of Doncaster and the other on York Road to the north. They are connected by Park and Ride bus services which carry passengers into the Frenchgate Interchange and shopping centre in the heart of the town.
Throughout the day regular bus services call into the Park and Ride sites. In the peak rush hours these are supplemented by dedicated express bus services with limited stops.
Doncaster Park and Ride is part of the £15.3 million funded by the Department for Transport project to create a Quality Bus Corridor along the A638 through the town. The final phase of this scheme – a dedicated bus lane in front of The Dome and the Asda supermarket – is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in Spring 2009.