Letter: We Should Learn Lessons From Winchester’s Park & Ride

Published on: 26 Aug, 2018
Updated on: 26 Aug, 2018

From Julian Lyon

Chairman of the Guildford Society

In response to: The Onslow Park & Ride Has Been Labelled a ‘White Elephant’

I would like to thank Cllr Bob McShee for raising the subject of the Onslow Park & Ride. There are many points raised although a couple of facts missing from his analysis.

There are restrictions for use, which I seem to recall are based on either legal or planning conditions, but these are time-limited (such as use for university or hospital purposes).

There is still (after five years) no signage on the A3 and pretty poor signage on the slip roads from the A3 (the university’s Saturday-only Park & Ride seems to have better signage!).

I have always felt that one of the flaws in the Guildford Park & Ride system is that users are penalised for having more passengers in their cars (each one has to pay on the bus for being transported), unlike many successful Park & Ride schemes, for example Winchester, where drivers pay to park the car, regardless of the number of occupants, and the buses are free.

Such a system would have the benefit of ensuring that everyone who parks in Onslow Park & Ride has paid their way.

I also think Winchester has an additional benefit. The buses go through the city from one Park and Ride to another. This allows the users to get off in the part of the city they want to go to, rather than at a central bus station.

Onslow Park & Ride does not have to be a white elephant but it needs rethinking in order to pull its weight, not just financially, but in terms of removing traffic from the town.

Responses to Letter: We Should Learn Lessons From Winchester’s Park & Ride

Harry Eve Reply

August 26, 2018 at 6:11 pm

The Winchester Park & Ride loop service also stops outside the hospital and the railway station – a major advantage. It also offers slightly cheaper off-peak parking.

I have yet to find a Park & Ride anywhere that provides an evening service. Such a service could enable theatre-goers, attendees of council meetings, etc to avoid using the car parks by the river – possibly freeing up space for better uses, as others have suggested.
Bernard Parke Reply

August 26, 2018 at 7:23 pm

The whole concept of the Onslow Park & Ride was questionable from the very start but it was said that if it did not go ahead there would be a loss of a £4 million grant.

The question must now be how much could have been made if it was not just Park & Ride site but a car park for workers in that area.

Over the nearly five-year period, a considerable amount of revenue could have been raised to help relieve the pressure on our hard-pressed council tax payers.