COLCHESTER’S long-awaited park and ride scheme is finally on the road.

The first of the five special buses pulled out of the new park and ride centre at at Cuckoo Farm, next the A12 near Colchester United’s football ground, at exactly 7am yesterday.

After nearby two decades of talk, speculation and planning, the £6.2million scheme has been officially declared open for business as the first bus got through to the town centre without a hitch.

Among the first passengers were Rodney Bass, Essex County Councillor responsible for transport, and Colchester Council leader Anne Turrell, who is also borough councillor for Mile End.

It was a big day for Mrs Turrell, who has been campaigning for a park and ride scheme in north Colchester since she was first elected in the Nineties.

She said: “I travelled the route around congestion time and I have to say it works really well.

“It will take time for everybody to know about it, but it will be a congestionbusting thing for Colchester.”

Andrew Cook, the county council’s director of environment and economy said: “We have carried out modelling, based on previous experience of park and rides elsewhere, which show very good numbers.

“There has been demand in Colchester for some time and we believe, once it has established itself, we will get the numbers, which is why we built 1,000 parking spaces right away.”

Buses are now rolling regularly between the new facility, using along the £13million Northern Approach Road 3, which, itself, only opened last Wednesday.

They then join the existing Northern Approach Road, turn right into Bruff Close and across North Station Roundabout.

A new bus lane in Station Way provides the next part of the journey, which, for the first fortnight, is free.

Highways staff worked against the clock to get the bus lane ready in time, finally completing the job only hours before the park and ride scheme opened.

Buses then run up North Hill, into the High Street and down Queen Street, turning right into St John’s Street and on to Head Street, ready for the trip back down North Hill and on to the park and ride centre.

Passengers will ride free for the first fortnight, and after that will each pay £3 a return fare. Season tickets and a weekly passes will be announced soon.