Stagecoach revamps Park & Ride to create new cross city connection
Stagecoach South West announced today that, starting from 3 January 2017, it is merging its Blue, SR4 (Sowton) and Green (Matford) park and ride services.
This will create a new cross-city connection with the route simply branded as ‘Green’ park and ride. The Red park and ride timetable, serving Honiton Road, will remain unchanged.
The new service will operate up to every 15 minutes, 6 days a week, with the end-to-end journey taking around half an hour.
As well as the park and ride sites, the service will include stops at Middlemoor, Heavitree Shops, Exeter University St Luke’s campus and Exeter Quay (Haven Banks).
It will also continue to serve Marsh Barton and Matford Industrial Estates throughout the day and Sowton Industrial Estate during the morning and evening peaks.
Peak journeys through Sowton Industrial Estate will be on a new route, with buses using a clockwise loop of Kestrel Way and Moor Lane. For other Sowton Industrial Estate locations, Honiton Road Park and Ride is within walking distance.
The cross-city route means that there will be some changes to city centre bus stops. New stops on the High Street replace those at Paris Street (to Sowton) and South Street (to Matford). Customers are advised to check their stop or with their driver to ensure they are boarding for the correct direction of travel.
The news of the cross-city connection comes shortly after the operator announced temporary overflow car parking at the former site of Hussey’s auctioneers, opposite Matford park and ride. The arrangement is in place to help ease congestion and facilitate access to the city centre, especially in the run up to Christmas, and is expected to last into the New Year.
The combined Sowton and Matford Green park and ride operates from Monday to Saturday. Honiton Road (Red) operates 7 days a week. Access to Sowton and Honiton Road car parks is available from 6am to midnight. Access to Matford car park is from 6am to 7.30pm. Outside of park and ride hours, customers can catch the 4 (Honiton Road) and 9/9A (Sowton) to return to the car parks. A weekly ticket, valid for use at all park and ride sites, costs just £10 and is available from the driver.
The new timetable is available to view online, with printed versions to follow shortly. To plan your journey using park and ride – or any other Stagecoach bus service - download the new app from the Apple and Play stores, simply search ‘stagecoach bus’. For updates on the go, follow on Twitter @stagecoachsw.
