Warwickshire County Council will be supporting the Stratford Christmas market on the weekend of the 14 and 15 December by increasing bus capacity on Stratford Park and Ride,
with an extra two double decker buses being dedicated to the service.
The markets has a new layout this year with an emphasis on reduced congestion and improved visitor experience. Increasing capacity at the Park and Ride will support this by allowing many more visitors to the town to park away from the town centre.
Two Christmas markets were due to take place across the weekends of 7-8, and 14-15 December, in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon. However, doe to Storm Darragh, and as a result of the weather warnings issued by the Met Office, Stratford District Council decided not to go ahead with the first weekend of the event.
The Park and Ride facility has already made a contribution to the flow of traffic into the town centre earlier this year. It offered free parking for several weeks while the traffic management on the Birmingham Road was in place, offering commuters an alternative to driving their own vehicle into town and minimising the queues of traffic.
Stratford Park and Ride continues to be a popular choice for families across the county, with adult return bus tickets at £2, and return group bus tickets costing just £3.30 for up to five people. Uptake in the service has been rising, with a 112% increase in customers using the service, throughout the summer holidays earlier this year.
Cllr Tim Sinclair, Warwickshire County Councillor for Stratford North, said:
“This is another practical and pragmatic solution that the County Council has brought to the problems of congestion on the Birmingham Road. We were acutely aware of the recent congestion issues following the traffic management that was essential for the works on the A3400. We listened to concerns and took action to alleviate any problems, including putting additional workers on the job on Saturdays to enable us to lift the traffic management as soon as possible.
“Just like the recent opening of the Stratford Park and Ride car park to divert traffic from the Birmingham Road, doubling the capacity of the buses over the weekend of the Christmas markets, should also have a real effect on the numbers of vehicles going into town and improve the experience for all. I very much welcome the move.”