COMMUTERS who use Pershore railway station will have to start paying to park from September 1.
Rail operator GWR has announced that it plans to introduce parking fees next month as it will help manage parking demand at the station and ensure all spaces are used by users.
The charge will be £4 for all day or £2.80 from noon onwards, however, Pershore MP Harriett Baldwin is calling on the company to reconsider its decision.
She has written to the GWR managing director Mark Hopwood calling for an immediate pause in the plans and for it to carry out a full consultation exercise to assess the impact of the proposed changes.
Dame Harriett said: “I am disappointed to hear about this car parking charge imposition which has been announced with very little notice and without any proper consultation.
“Over many years I have been campaigning for more services stopping at Pershore and I’ve supported plans to add significant extra parking capacity to the station.
“I am extremely worried at the impact this may have on local rail users and it may deter people from getting on and off trains at Pershore.
“With so many extra houses being built, we need to enhance and improve the offer for Pershore rail users, not drive them away.
“I’d like to see what modelling the company has done on predicted rail use before any charges are imposed and I would like them to re-think the use of cash-less parking charges which will also act as a deterrent to rail users.
“The company is looking to get more revenue from individual rail users but I am worried that they have not considered the wider implications of this rushed change.”
Dame Harriett has campaigned for more than ten years to allow Wychavon District Council to build a car park across from the station connected by a footbridge and adding extra capacity for rail users as well as more dedicated spaces for people with mobility issues.
But that plan remains on the drawing board and the successful Worcestershire Parkway station’s car park is already running at capacity, meaning more commuters are choosing to use Pershore’s station.
GWR said the addition of charges will also help repay a taxpayer subsidy following the Covid-19 pandemic.
A spokesperson for GWR said: “Car parking tariffs are being introduced at Pershore station, with effect from September 1.
“This will help us in better managing parking demand at Pershore and ensure that spaces are used by rail users.
“As you may be aware, GWR like other operators remains in significant receipt of taxpayer subsidy following the pandemic.
“Introducing charges also helps us to reduce this subsidy, with all revenue from car parking charges returned to Government.”
They said customers will be able to purchase parking tickets either online (through APCOA’s app or webpage), or from the existing ticket vending machine with either card or cash.
There will also be 20 minutes free car parking, allowing for pick-up/drop-off.
