Bury St Edmunds town council will be running a Free park and ride scheme for the next two Saturdays in Bury St Edmunds.

The free bus service will be running from the West Suffolk Council owned car park on Olding Road to Bay 9 at the Bus Station with the first pickup from Olding Road at 8.30am and the last bus leaving the bus station at 7.30pm.

Buses will arrive every 15 – 20 minutes and both parking and the bus journey is free of charge.

Cllr Richard Rout, who proposed the initiative, said: “We need to do everything we can to support our town centre and local businesses this Christmas and hopefully this free park & ride, on two of the busiest Saturdays in December, will make a real difference. The aim is to help reduce congestion around the town centre itself, not leave visitors worrying about an expiring parking ticket, and leave people with few extra pounds in their pocket at a time which has been so difficult for so many.

“I’d like to thank Mulleys, the Business Improvement District, and West Suffolk Council for working so collaboratively with us to make this trial a reality. Social distancing and mask wearing rules will, of course, apply on all journeys.”

Mark Cordell, Chief Executive of Our Bury St Edmunds (BID), added: “Park & Ride has been raised previously for Bury St Edmunds and has worked successfully at the Christmas Fayre, so I’m very happy to support this initiative from the Town Council. It gives the town the opportunity to test park & ride in the run up to Christmas and see the level of interest there is”.

West Suffolk Council own and operate the Olding Road car park, which is free to use at the weekend.

Social distancing and mask wearing rules will apply on the bus service. Only assistance dogs are permitted to travel on it.