Bath’s Park and Ride buses could soon run until 11.30pm
Bath and North East Somerset Council hopes to make them the “method of choice” for people visiting the city.
Currently, the last buses to the city’s three Park and Rides at Odd Down, Newbridge, and Lansdown leave the city centre at 8.30pm Monday to Saturday. But from April, Bath and North East Somerset Council plans to trial extending these services until 11.30pm.
Council cabinet member for highways Manda Rigby said: “We are encouraging people who are both coming to visit and to work in Bath to use the park and ride as their method of choice.”
Bath and North East Somerset Council plans to spend £125k on the trial. Ms Rigby said: “Hopefully it will extend how people stay in Bath for the night time economy. It will also make it easier for people who work in the night time economy to choose to come in, not with a car.”
Ms Rigby was speaking at the council cabinet meeting on February 13 where the council’s draft budget, including the £125k for the extended Park and Ride services, was signed off. The budget will now need to go for a vote before a meeting of the full council on February 25 for approval.
She added that “sufficient marketing” would make sure everyone was aware of the extended hours. In a swipe at Labour West of England Metro Mayor Dan Norris, she added: “That marketing will not include spending a lot of money on photos of people with their dog, wrapping a bus.”
Mr Norris came under fire for spending £10k for putting a large photo of himself and his dog, Angel, on a bus which was never seen by the public to promote his birthday bus scheme. Ms Rigby’s fellow Liberal Democrat councillor on Bath and North East Somerset Council, Oli Henman (Walcot) is now in the running to replace him in the role in the election on May 1. Mr Norris is not standing for re-election as he is now the MP for North East Somerset and Hanham.