Motoring organisation, the AA, has urged a major expansion of park-and-ride services as one way of continuing to serve the travelling needs of motorists while cutting carbon emissions.
Research by the Eurotest Consortium of motoring organisations found that across 17 cities in 14 countries surveyed, there was an average of one park-and-ride space for every 356 citizens.
However, in the best-served countries – Germany, Norway and Finland – there were almost twice as many, or 180 spaces.
The AA said the research showed that the UK was ‘missing a trick’, given that while even a regional city such as Hamburg offered 49 park-and-ride sites, Sheffield, the UK city selected for the study, had eight. There also ‘appeared to be no co-ordinated network for London’.
The group urged consideration be given to park-and-ride facilities at motorway service areas, or at motorway junctions. ‘With some UK councils keen to target car CO2 emissions with higher parking charges, a reciprocal provision of CO2-reducing park-and-ride is often not offered,’ the AA said.
The UK also performed poorly, it claimed, in terms of signing of park-and-ride sites. While most other European cities signed services from motorways, there was no Highways Agency signing for the South Yorkshire sites. However, Sheffield compared well on price, parking and transport, together costing £4.08. In half the surveyed cities, the combined cost was less than £5.
Paul Watters, the AA’s head of roads and transport policy, commented: ‘UK authorities introducing higher parking charges within city centres to regulate demand should commit to expanding park-and-ride provision. ‘Satellite parking off motorways such as the M25 and M4 would indicate UK park-and-ride maturing for the 21st century.’
However, Alison Quant, vice-president of the County Surveyors’ Society, cautioned that introducing strategic park-and-ride sites could, potentially, create ‘modal shift away from sustainable modes, such as rail services’. She said: ‘Most UK cities now have park-and-ride services, and local authorities are expanding them when they’re full. To build sites off motorways, however, isn’t within our remit, and we don’t know if the demand is there.’
Register now for full access
Register just once to get unrestricted, real-time coverage of the issues and challenges facing UK transport and highways engineers.
Full website content includes the latest news, exclusive commentary from leading industry figures and detailed topical analysis of the highways, transportation, environment and place-shaping sectors.
Use the link below to register your details for full, free access.
Already a registered? Login
