Park & Ride deal for York
A £25m contract has been agreed between transport company First Group and City of York Council to provide the Park & Ride service for the city.
The improved service, designed to reduce the levels of traffic coming in and out of the town centre, will begin operating from February 1 next year.
Following a competitive tendering process, First Group won the right to continue to provide the Park & Ride bus service on behalf of City of York Council.
First Group will provide a new fleet of 32 environmentally friendly buses for the scheme, to allow people to park in secure car parks and complete their journey into the city centre by bus.
Tony Clarke, capital programme manager at City of York Council, said: “York already has one of the most successful Park & Ride operations in the country, which the new contract will further enhance.
“The scheme will reduce the number of cars currently causing congestion in York’s historic city centre and will improve air quality at key locations.
“This deal is a great example of the transport and the public sectors working together to provide an excellent service for the people of York whilst at the same time, serving to further reduce the level of traffic in the city centre. The professional and in-depth advice provided by the firm will help to ensure the long-term success of this key Council service.”
Law firm Dickinson Dees in York acted on the contract.
Deborah Ramshaw, director at Dickinson Dees, said: “The Park & Ride initiative will provide huge benefits not only for tourists and visitors to the region, but also for the residents of York.
“We are delighted to have been able to advise the Council in relation to this contract. It was important to ensure that the contract was future-proof as it is to be in operation for five years. We therefore needed to take into account a number of complex considerations to ensure that the contract will run smoothly over this period and to ensure the Park & Ride service achieves continuous improvement year on year.”
