Norwich Park & Ride could close if it does not 'wipe its nose'

A park and ride service could be closed permanently if efforts to boost patronage fail.

Norfolk County Council and contractor KonectBus have cut fares and increased frequency to make services in Norwich more attractive.

But park and ride usage is at about 50% of pre-Covid levels, with Postwick usage at about 37% and under threat.

The council said it was committed to making the service "wipe its nose" but could not keep throwing money at it.

A consultation on the overall Norwich Park and Ride services contract runs until 16 December.

Separately, Postwick, which has been shut for three years, is undergoing a trial reopening from September to Christmas, to see if it is well used.

Graham Plant, the county councillor for transport, travel and infrastructure, admitted Postwick was struggling because it had been shut.

"We can't flog a dead horse, and that's why I said it's got to start wiping its nose, it's got to pay for itself, otherwise we will look at closing it because we can't keep subsidising it," he said.

"This is something we want to work, we are putting money out there to try and make it work. It's up to the people."

He added that the public needed to use the services to ensure they were kept "but what we can't do is just keep throwing money at it".

The BBC visited the Postwick service on a weekday at 09:15 GMT, and counted 38 parked vehicles. With parking and the driver's bus fare costing £3, the peak-time income was potentially £114.

Passengers said one reason they thought Postwick was struggling was because it had been closed during the pandemic to be used as a testing centre.

Gareth Ball, 40, said it was a good service which his children enjoyed for family leisure trips to the city centre.

"I used to use it quite a lot before it shut, so it was quite an inconvenience when it did [shut]," he said.

"I think it would be a real shame [if it closed permanently]... does it cover the cost of the bus? Probably not."

Louise King, 40, said: "I use it fairly regularly because I don't like parking in the city. It can be really tricky... so I use it two or three times a month.

"It would be a real shame if it does close but I kind of get why it might because there's not a huge amount of cars here."

Ivan Sheales, 55, said he was using the park and ride because it was the most cost effective way to park in the city centre.

"It's £3 in, it's a 10 minute walk from the bus station to the court and it makes sense. It's the best compromise," he said.

"You would have more traffic going into Norwich [without the service] trying to find a parking space with more pollution, more congestion, and more hassle."

Follow East of England news on Facebook, Instagram and X. Got a story? Email [email protected] or WhatsApp 0800 169 1830