PRESS RELEASE

Free Park n’Ride Goes Daily

9th December 2003

City shoppers are set to gain even further this Christmas as the free Park n’Ride service goes daily from this Friday 12th December. The initiative, which has been successfully in operation for the past number of weekends, was developed in partnership with Ilex URC, Road Service and Derry City Council.

The Fort George site in Pennyburn has been equipped with new lighting and on-site security and since the end of November both local residents and visitors to the city have availed of the 140 new car parking spaces that have been made available as part of the initiative. The service also incorporates a shuttle bus every 15 minutes, which stops at drop-off and collection points that are indicated by signage on the Strand Road, The Diamond and Orchard Street making it an easy service to use for everyone.

The service will now run daily from the 12th until the 31st of December (closed on Christmas Day and 26th December) from 12noon to 6:00pm and its prime location along the Strand Road offers a perfect parking alternative when planning a city centre trip this Christmas.

Announcing the commencement of the free Park n’Ride daily service Ilex chairman Alan McClure said,

“Over the past number of weekends this programme has provided both our local residents and visitors to the city a unique service adding to their Christmas shopping experience. By extending the facility to a daily service it will continue to add real value to the Christmas commuter and shopping season.”

Anthony Tohill, Senior Traffic Engineer with Road Service said he was very pleased at how the service has been utilized to date,

“We are very pleased with the success of the free Park n’Ride facility. Numbers over the past few weekends indicate that both visitors and local residents have welcomed the service provided. The extension of the facility to a daily service is timed to coincide with increased demand for parking and traffic volumes in the city centre. Rather than add to the congestion, we would encourage motorists to avail of the safe, reliable and free Park n’Ride facility at Fort George”.

The Fort George Park n’Ride Service is also supported by Adshel Ltd, the Chamber of Commerce, City Centre Initiative and Carlisle Road Traders. It completes a series of new car parking facilities including over 200 new spaces at Foyleside, weekend parking at the Derry City Council offices and the announcement of additional free car parking at the multi-storey car park at Spencer Road.

The Christmas campaign website www.lovethechange.co.uk is updated daily to provide customers with the latest information and developments in the city. The site provides information on parking, shopping centre opening times, events and changes in the city retail sector as well as Park n’Ride information.

Notes to Editor

ENDS

For further information please contact
Derry City Council on 028 7137 6504 or Ilex on 028 7126 9226.

For additional information contact:

Press Office

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