A Suffolk resident recently wrote to the EADT to say she no longer travels to shop in Ipswich because of the closure of the Bury Road Park and Ride (EADT Letters 03/03/12). This scenario is exactly what the Liberal Democrats predicted when the Conservatives closed the site.
Speculation? No! When the closure was first mooted back in 2010, Suffolk LibDems conducted a survey of the Park and Ride users. 20% of them told us then that they would no longer travel to Ipswich if the Park and Ride closed. It was abundantly clear from the beginning that the closure would take away valuable footfall and income to our County town. Yet the Conservatives ploughed ahead regardless.
The decision to close was never adequately explained in terms of cost, only in terms of ideology. The Bury Road Park and Ride was effective, practical and well liked across the communities north west of Ipswich, and – most peculiar of all – the overall contract cost was actually decreasing. Continuing with the closure means that the once-strong link between mid-Suffolk and Ipswich is further eroded at a time when our county town needs all the support it can get.
When the Bury Road site closed, the portfolio-holder told us that individuals would travel past the closed site to use either Copdock or Martlesham. This clearly hasn’t happened, and now it’s evident that some people aren’t travelling to Ipswich at all.
The Conservatives’ penny-wise and pound-foolish attitude to saving money is costing our County town and the Suffolk economy dear. Isn’t it time they manned up, admitted they made an error and agreed to bring this service back, encouraging people back on to public transport and back into the Ipswich shops?
Looking at the Bury Road park and ride in recent years , one suspects its supposed failure on the grounds of cost seems to be more about inflexible thought in how it should operate, rather than any lack of passengers.
(this is a slightly amended version of my letter to the EADT, published 22/03/12)
I’ve been using Park and Ride to get to the hospital for radiotherapy – and it’s a great stress free way of travelling. No problems with parking and less fuel used. However if I park I can do so cheaply (£2.80 for 8 visits). My Park and Ride journey costs £2.70 each time with my Smartcard. A far sighted council would look at concessions, not only for patients but for NHS staff.
The closure of Bury Road Park and Ride made absolutely no sense. A little imagination and a better fare structure was all that was needed to keep it open.
In 2011 my company SGA PARKING LTD approached Ipswich City Council with a proposal to re-open the Bury Road Park and Ride. We had discussions with Ipswich Bus Company and came to a provisional agreement on costs etc for operating a bus service every 12 minutes to and from the city.
I received one or two emails from councillors I had contacted but despite many phone calls and other emails I never received any response from the council.
It now appears that from making a financial loss on this site, the council now wants to make around £4000/week by asking a rental of £150,000 pa plus rates! This does not include the terminal building which ‘may’ be available at extra cost.
We would still be interested in reopening the site as a park and ride, but obviously the rental being asked for the site is completely unviable for this use.
Perhaps the council should re-consider their decision to demand £150,000 pa for this site and allow us to re-open the park and ride by accepting a reasonable rental.