For nearly 20 years, Park and Ride has played a vital role in keeping traffic out of Cambridge city centre and in encouraging people to use buses. Until now, the parking has been free, although people have paid for the Park & Ride buses.

The County Council Conservatives have now decided to bring in parking charges, starting in May.

Liberal Democrats fear that the additional charge will deter people from using Park & Ride, and consider this a backward step. Our other concern, which I have raised with the Conservatives, is that commuters and visitors will dodge the charges and park in residential areas. We said that they would need to have parking restrictions in place to prevent displacement of parking.

They have accepted this argument and admit that ‘the introduction of charges at the park and ride are expected to lead to significant numbers of displaced vehicles seeking to avoid the charge by parking on the highway verges, obstructing traffic flow and causing damage to the verges.’

Their response has been to propose no waiting restrictions in Babraham Road and a small part of Hills Road. So: the County is doing a little bit to help. This is something, but it still assumes that drivers will carry on using the Park & Ride sites. I think they will park further away than that, closer to where they want to go – exactly the kind of practice Park and Ride was invented to stop!

Here is a plan showing where the new parking restrictions could go should the proposal be agreedBabraham Rd TRO. To comment on the order, email policyandregulation@cambridgeshire.gov.uk by 11th April, quoting reference PR0093.

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