CAR PARK 'RIP OFF' PRICES FANS AWAY

1 August 2005

Sports fans from the Swansea Valley are calling foul over new park and ride charges for the New Stadium. Swansea council has set up three park and ride schemes for match days.

The ones leaving from County Hall and the Recreation Ground next to St Helen's are charging £2 for the service.But supporters using the third at Swansea Vale are being asked to pay £5.

A spokeswoman for First Cymru said the charges were determined by Stadco, the company which runs the stadium, and Swansea Council.

The council claims the costs will balance out if supporters share cars, as the Swansea Vale price was per car for parking, with a free bus, while the other sites offered free parking but a £2 bus ride for each adult.

"The prices are broadly comparable to other stadia and cover the costs of bus travel and the cost of providing a brand new park and ride site," said the council's spokeswoman.

"While parking at County Hall and the Recreation Ground is free, bus fares from there are charged per person, at £2 each.

"The cost of parking at Swansea Vale is per car and bus travel is free.'

'This means that if people are sharing a car - which we would encourage them to do - the £5 charge is shared between them.

"Two friends travelling together, for example, would pay the equivalent of £2.50 each.

''Three friends travelling together would pay less than £1.70

."But some fans say the system is unfair to supporters travelling from Swansea Vale to matches on their own.

Nigel Thomas, a 35-year-old teacher from Bryncoch, said: "They haven't thought this through at all, everything seems to be geared to the Swansea end. It's a poor show.

"People coming from Neath and the Swansea Valley have to use the Vale park and ride and they are being charged more.

''It should be called a Park and Rip-off.

"It would work out cheaper if you share cars but you can't always arrive at the same time.

"They build a 20,000-seater stadium with only a couple of thousand parking places and they are just for the privileged few who can afford executive seats."