Locals have had their say on the new Yate Park and Ride, which opened to the public this week.
The £4.5million transport hub has been built to ease congestion along Badminton Road, and to encourage commuters not to drive into Yate and Bristol city centre.
But some people have questioned its use, claiming it offers nothing more than “just a car park".
READ MORE: Historic pub with own rifle range could be demolished for homes
The Park and Ride, which opened on Monday, includes 198 car parking spaces, 46 bike spaces and improved bus stops.
There are also electric vehicle charging points and click-and-collect lockers which South Gloucestershire Council says will be available for use soon.
Services such as the Y1, Y2, Y4 and Y6, which serve Chipping Sodbury, Bristol city centre, Cribbs Causeway and Southmead, are calling at the new Park and Ride stops.
But no additional services have been added, which has prompted commuters to question its benefit.
Commenting on Bristol Live’s Facebook broadcast at the Park and Ride opening, April Marie said: “I’ve been waiting for months for this to open hoping that it would provide a better bus service into Bristol, but it’s literally the same bus service with an extra stop at the park and ride. This is just a car park, not improving services at all.”
Martin Gould commented: “It’s not really a Park and Ride though, is it? It’s a car park that a normal bus service calls into. There is no bus priority, so you sit in all the traffic as normal … waste of time and money!”
The council says it is currently free to park at the site, but that a £2.60 charge will be introduced at a later date.
There are also calls for a dedicated bus lane along Badminton Road, to encourage people to get the bus.
Martin continued: "I loved the bus only lane from Yate, Nibley, Coalpit Heath, etc! Oh wait...there isn't!"
While Luke Geach questioned how safe Badminton Road is for cars pulling out with additional bus stops on the road.
“Badminton Road bus stops are going to be lethal," he said, also commenting on Facebook. "I tried pulling out for the Bristol bound stop, could not see traffic coming round the roundabout, accident waiting to happen.”
South Gloucestershire Council has said previously that the Metrobus service will stop at the Park and Ride when it extends to the area.
A council spokesperson said: “Yate Park and Ride is a new £4.5 million transport hub that will help reduce traffic congestion along the A432 Badminton Road by providing alternative travel options such as public transport, cycling or car sharing. It supports sustainable travel and is an important part of our commitment to create more green travel options for residents and visitors. It will contribute towards our Climate Emergency goals by helping to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.
“The new site is providing a park and ride service using the existing bus network, with buses running approximately every 30 minutes travelling to both Yate and Bristol. With the site now open, we will be continuing discussions with service providers to ensure more buses will be making use of this facility.
“The A432 corridor between Bristol, Yate and Chipping Sodbury will continue to benefit from investment in public transport over the next five years, which will see bus service provision improve. You can also park and change to other modes of transport including bus, cycle, walking or rail. Other additions to the site such as a car club and click and collect lockers will be added to the site in the spring.
“The design and construction of the site was subject to detailed and thorough safety checks during its development. We have not been made aware of any issues by the bus operator serving the site, but we will continue to work in partnership with them and listen to any feedback they may have.”
Want our best stories with fewer ads and alerts when the biggest news stories drop? Download our app on iPhone or Android
