Weekend parking on cards

DERKER station car park for Metrolink users

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A SUCCESSFUL trial to offer overnight weekend parking at selected Metrolink stops is set to be made permanent.

In December last year, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) launched a trial offering Metrolink customers free overnight parking on Friday and Saturday nights at 15 tram stops, with a pick up time of noon the following day.

Friday's meeting of the TfGM committee will hear that the pilot scheme has been proving a success, with no capacity issues affecting regular daytime commuters.

A survey undertaken during the trial found eighty-five per cent in favour of the scheme.

The Bury, Brooklands, Prestwich, Stretford and Navigation Road, Park and Rides proved to be the most popular sites.

The report recommends that TfGM develops a permanent scheme to offer more than 2,500 overnight parking spaces for Friday and Saturday nights - 77 per cent of parking spots available at all 22 Metrolink car parks.

Councillor Andrew Fender, chairman of the TfGMC committee, said: "We've been really pleased to have been able to offer this trial to Metrolink customers.

"The take-up has been good and the response from the people we spoke to about the scheme has been very positive.

"We will now fully consider and discuss the proposals set out in the paper at the committee meeting and will of course update Metrolink customers once any final decision is made."

The report recommends that overnight parking during the week is not introduced, as major events such as concerts and football matches would affect Metrolink commuters the following day.

A permanent overnight parking scheme would cover the 15 Metrolink Park and Ride trial sites at Brooklands (108), Stretford (33), Navigation Road (81), Bury (100), Crumpsall (43), Prestwich (36), Radcliffe (369), Whitefield (216), East Didsbury (302), Ladywell (250), Hollinwood (190), Oldham Mumps (270), Rochdale Rail Station (217), Derker (251) and Shaw and Crompton (90) stops.

Not all Metrolink stops can be included in the overnight parking scheme due to limited space and land agreements.

Any permanent scheme would come into effect at the end of the current trial, on July 31.

To plan a journey with Metrolink visit www.metrolink.co.uk, follow @MCRMetrolink on Twitter for live travel advice, or call Metrolink Customer Services on 0161 205 2000.