THE Newquay park and ride bus service has been given the green light to operate during the summer holidays.

Go Bus will be operating the park and ride from opposite Hendra Holiday Park as part of the 93 service from Saturday, July 20, to Sunday, September 1, which will offer a 20-minute frequency as per previous years.

Cornwall Council has been keen to get a park and ride up and running again this summer to help ease traffic congestion in Newquay town centre, especially as the lower part of the Tregunnel Hill car park has been developed into housing for the homeless.

The 93 service will travel from Newquay Park and Ride and stop off at Newquay Zoo, Newquay Railway Station and Newquay Bus Station. The buses toward the park and ride will go from Newquay Bus Station and will stop off at the great Western Hotel, Newquay Zoo, Newquay Park and Ride and Hendra Holiday Park.

The park and ride will provide free parking and the cost of an adult bus ticket will be £3.50 for adults, £2.20 for 18 and under and £10 for a family ticket.

Cornwall Council will be promoting the service to maximise its use by distributing leaflets to holidays parks as well as Newquay Tourist Information Centre and Cormac will be erecting signage.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: “Fares are competitive with families being able to utilise the £10 day ticket which comes into existence on the opening day of the park and ride. This undercuts nearly all long stay car parks in Newquay so we anticipate should encourage greater use of the park and ride alongside the free parking at the site.”

Mayor Cllr Drew Creek said: “I am pleased to see that a park and ride scheme will run from the field opposite Hendra Holiday Park. I do hope that it encourages more visitors this year to utilise it and reduce traffic in town. 

“Signage last year seemed to not have been thought out with signs facing towards town rather than capturing incoming traffic. Hopefully more thought has gone into it this year. I would like to see a park and train facility in coming years from Quintrell downs and a park and ride for vehicles from Goonhaven direction. This would be a much better solution and would I’m sure reduce traffic further. This is something that I have been calling for for two years.

Cornwall councillor John Fitter added: “I’m delighted to support this measure and I would hope that when the Newquay Strategic Route is opened that instead of the current route to get into Newquay they can use the southern arm of the Newquay Strategic Route and access the Henver Road and onwards to Newquay.”