Worcestershire Parkway disabled parking, ‘unexpected demand’ to blame
Worcestershire County Councillor, Dan Boatright-Greene, has said he is aware of the problems including people allegedly using the disabled parking as a drop-off point. According to the councillor, discussions are ongoing at both Wychavon District Council and Worcestershire County Council regarding increasing the number of parking spaces but he admitted that it would likely be some time off as it would have to go through planning and funding. Great Western Railway who are responsible for the car park say that the facility is clearly signposted and if anyone believes the area is being used improperly they should speak to station staff.
Councillor Boatright-Greene said: "One of the biggest problems has come about because of unexpected demand. "When Worcestershire Parkway was first put in place it was new and nobody knew just how many people would start to use it. "It's great to see lots of people using public transport and it's good to see that Wychavon is taking it seriously and looking at increasing capacity.
"One thing that is also affecting the parking is bus transport. "By far one of the biggest complaints I receive from people, particularly from Pershore, is with people concerned about bus connectivity and not having the right buses at the right time for the trains. "If we can get that sorted and have the right buses it would reduce the amount of people having to park."
The councillor also said he is aware of the claims that people are using the disabled parking area for drop-off and that it needs to be looked into. Councillor Boatright-Greene said: "I have looked into a few cases and it looks like people have made assumptions or someone picking up someone with disabilities. "I also don't think the drop-off point is well signposted.
A family member once told me that they ended up in a disabled parking area and had to turn around. I myself have been lost a couple of times." Worcestershire County Council said that it was aware of the issues surrounding parking especially during mid week.
A spokesperson for the council said: "Worcestershire Parkway is exceeding expectations that were set out in the business case. "It is currently operating at the equivalent of year 13 of its business case even though it is less than 5 years since the station opened. "This is great news as it facilitates travel by rail as a travel choice for residents throughout the county and helps to alleviate pressure on the roads and motorways.
"We are aware that the car park is operating near capacity on some days, particularly mid week. "A proposal was approved at Worcestershire County Council Cabinet last year to explore options to provide further. "Bus connectivity is primarily through the X50 Worcester-Pershore-Evesham which currently operates 1 per hour in each direction.
"The station is accessible via the Worcestershire on demand scheme in the Malvern area, as a point of interest. "We are looking at further options for improving bus travel in the Pershore area, as part of our Bus Service Improvement Plan." A spokesperson for Great Western Railway said: "We offer 23 accessible parking bays immediately outside the station, and a separate pick-up/drop off point, both of which are clearly signposted.
"Should anyone believe that either area is being used improperly we encourage them to speak to station staff."