Evening Post
LANCASHIRE
lep.co.uk
When is a green scheme not a green scheme? When it’s in Preston it seems...
PARK AND
DERIDE...
PRESTON’S park and ride
scheme was today branded
crazy following the revela-
tion that green-conscious
cyclists are barred from
using the service.
Environmental campaigners
are dismayed that motorists who
want to park at the sites on the
outskirts of Preston then ride
their bikes or walk into the city
are barred from doing so.
County council transport chiefs say
the sites are only available to mo-
YOU VOTE: Does Preston do enough to celebrate Christmas? See Page 5
Worried about the big
digital TV switchover?
Maybe Jo can help...see Pages 18-19
by Chris Visser
chris.visser@lep.co.uk
torists who pay for the bus service
into the city.
One of the main reasons for intro-
ducing the scheme was to ease con-
gestion on city roads, which are used
by 362,000 motorists every 24 hours.
And in a separate blow to Lan-
cashire’s green credentials, the coun-
cil has revealed that plans to intro-
duce a car sharing club, aimed at cut-
ting pollution, is set to be shelved.
Commuter Mick McKeown, who
is a lecturer at UCLan, says he was
dismayed when he was told he could
not ride his bike from the county
council’s Walton-le-Dale park and
ride site, two miles into town.
Mr McKeown, who travels from
Liverpool, was told he had to catch
the bus and pay the £2.50 fare in-
stead. He said: “It just seems crazy
to me.
“I said to the official that I thought
the reason for having the park and
ride was to ease traffic congestion so
it made no difference that I wasn’t
using the bus. He replied that the
purpose of the park and ride was to
make money for his firm.
“I’m particularly disappointed that
green and health issues seem to be
What must you
not forget to
do tonight?
See picture Page 2
for the answer...
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2008 40p
WeekAhead
Christmas will be
quieter this year
PRESTON’S Flag Market could be
bereft of any major attractions this
Christmas following a council mix up.
As of yet the city council has failed to
entice a festive centrepiece for the city
such as a big wheel, ice rink or Conti-
nental market.
● See Page 5
Stars and starlets
CHILDREN from a Lancashire pri-
mary school raised their game when
they performed in front of a celebrity
judging panel. 80s pop star Stedman
Pearson, of Five Star fame, and actor
Daniel Brocklebank pitched up at St
Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Eu-
xton, near Chorley.
● See Page 3
DISMAYED: Green cyclist
Mick McKeown was banned
from Preston’s Park and Ride
because he didn’t use a bus
being overruled by commercial in-
terests. It seems daft if that’s their
rules, especially if the primary care
trust and government are encourag-
ing people to be more active.
“There were more car parking
spaces than vehicles there at 8am that
morning. At the very least I would
like to see some reserved parking
places for cyclists.”
Council bosses have previously ar-
gued the £4.7m Walton-le-Dale site,
which opened in 2002, was aimed at
cutting congestion and improving the
environment – not to provide busi-
ness for contractor Preston Bus.
● Turn to Page 5
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