Fifty one per cent of the 18,500 respondents to an AA survey have used 'park and ride' and over a third more would try it if the opportunity arose. Only 18 per cent said that they would never consider using park and ride. The AA’s 'Fuel for Thought' research also shows that heading to the suburban 'park and ride' rather than urban town centre can save at least 7mpg on an average car’s fuel consumption.

'Park and ride' has increased in popularity, in 1993 only a quarter of AA members said they had used a scheme probably because there were fewer but today 87 per cent have or would use a scheme. Far from shunning public transport AA members have shown that when it is quick, clean, efficient simple to use and cheap they will use it.

Commenting on the results Edmund King, AA president, said, "AA members have always been great supporters of park and ride as it provide the best of both private and public transport. There is usually little hassle getting to the 'park and ride' car park, parking is easy, cheap, usually safe and buses are frequent”

“There is no need for the driver to negotiate unfamiliar streets and no need to worry about parking tickets. Campaigns to get people out of their cars are pointless if the infrastructure is not in place to offer an alternative."

The Brighton & Hove Business Forum has calculated that a 1000 space park & ride facility on the outskirts of the city could produce a net reduction of half a million car movements in the city centre.