Thursday, July 10, 2008
Park and ride to cut congestion
A park and ride scheme aimed at cutting congestion during rush hour is to be piloted on Tyneside.
Commuters signing up for the initiative will be given a parking permit and their own space at the MetroCentre coach park.
They will then be able to travel by bus into Gateshead or Newcastle City centre on dedicated priority lanes.
The scheme will run from Monday to Friday on a trial basis between 26 March and 19 October.
It will be run by bus operator Go North East, supported by Nexus MetroCentre and Gateshead Council.
'Huge impact'
Aimed specifically at commuters' travelling times, it will cost £12 per person per week, reduced to £10 per person if two or more people are using the same car.
There is also a reduction for bookings longer than one week.
All vehicles will run from the MetroCentre along the Tyne on the dedicated bus priority lanes currently used by the X66 CentreLink buses before heading into Newcastle or Gateshead.
Peter Huntley, managing director at Go North East, said: "The plan is to use the existing infrastructure to see whether there is a good appetite among regional commuters for a service like this."
Councillor David Bollands, Gateshead Council's cabinet member responsible for transport, said: "Any scheme which reduces the number of vehicles attempting to use the River Tyne crossings will reduce congestion and improve the environment.
"We believe park and ride schemes could make a huge impact on traffic congestion, and we are currently examining a number of other sites across the borough with a view to bringing more such schemes into use."
This is a part of article Park and ride to cut congestion Taken from "Generic Acomplia (Rimonabant) Discussions" Information Blog
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