COMMUTERS on some of York's Park&Ride services will be hit in the pocket next month when fares shoot up.

City of York Council has agreed with service operator First to raise the price of discounted Park&Ride fares from August 12.

Under the fare hikes:

* monthly tickets will rise from £25 to £30* weekly tickets will rise from £7 to £8* a stored value fare will rise from £1.60 to £1.80.

Labour's transport spokeswoman, Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, said the 20 per cent rise in the monthly fare was "shocking".

She added: "If we are to continue to encourage people to use the Park&Ride sites, and not block up the city's inner ring road with cars from outside the area, then this is just not acceptable.

"I would ask that a very good explanation is given for such a large rise, when we know that more cars are coming into the city than in previous years."

But Coun Ann Reid, the authority's executive member for city strategy, said: "Seventy per cent of the users will not be affected, because 70 per cent of the passengers are standard-fare passengers."

Damon Copperthwaite, the council's assistant director of city development and transport, said: "The service currently provided is provided at a very cost-effective price, and I think it would bear comparison to anybody else's Park&Ride service throughout the country, in terms of the quality of service we provide, at the cost we ask users to pay."

A spokeswoman for City of York Council also said the new ticket prices still represented a good deal.

The new monthly price of £30 was 25 per cent cheaper than buying 20 standard returns, and tickets could be used any time during the month.

An £8 weekly ticket was 20 per cent cheaper than buying five standard returns and could be used any time in the week.

Meanwhile, the stored value fare price represented a discount of 20 per cent on a standard return fare. In addition, there was no time limit on card use.

The spokeswoman said this was the first time discounted fares had been increased on Park&Ride in more than five years.

The rises had been agreed because of "considerable financial pressures" on the service because of a rise in running costs.

York's Park&Ride service is being put out to tender, ahead of a relaunch next spring.

The spokeswoman said this was so the council could ensure the city had the the best value service - taking into account vehicle emissions and standards of service.

Council chiefs are due to choose the successful bidder this autumn.