YORK'S deserted Park & Ride site at Poppleton is finally set to reopen - just in time for the Easter holidays.

The huge car park just off the A59 has been closed since March 2020, when it was brought into use as a Covid testing site at the UK Health Security Agency’s request.

Its use as a testing site ended last summer but the Park&Ride failed to reopen.

The Press reported in January that a delay in receiving Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding from the Department for Transport, coupled with a national bus driver shortage, had made a reopening impossible without having a ‘severely negative impact on other routes.'

A large sign in a field next to the Park&Ride suggested people use the Rawcliffe Bar Park&Ride two miles along the outer ring road instead.

City of York Council now says Poppleton Bar will reopen on Saturday April 1 with support from the BSIP.

A spokesperson said the authority was awarded £17.36m from the DfT in November 2022 to support the development of the BSIP and key bus schemes and initiatives across the city.

"York’s BSIP sets out a new vision to help improve York’s bus network, aiming to make it more inclusive, accessible, attractive and welcoming – becoming a source of pride for the city and its residents," they said.

"The key objectives in the BSIP are:

•Improving the frequency of bus services, providing more routes and supporting the reintroduction of park and ride services from Poppleton Bar following its use as a COVID-19 testing centre

•Better, cheaper tickets for young people, and better tickets which are valid for travel on all bus services in York

•Completing the electrification of First York’s bus fleet, following in the footsteps of the 33 electric buses already operating in the city

•Providing bus priorities and supporting rapid bus services to new developments around York

•Upgrading York’s Park and Ride network, allowing it to support a wider range of bus services, providing overnight parking at more sites and refurbishing the two oldest sites, at Rawcliffe Bar and Grimston Bar."

Transport executive member Cllr Andy D’Agorne, said: “We’re delighted to be reopening Poppleton Park&Ride in partnership with First Bus. 

"York has one of the best Park&Rides in the country, with frequent, low-floor, wheelchair accessible, fully electric buses.

“To encourage greater use of the bus network, and sustainable travel routes, our network and bus services must be safe, convenient and attractive to residents, commuters and visitors. Reopening the site is a major step forward to achieving this.”

Tom Bridge, Operations Director of First North & West Yorkshire, said it looked forward to welcoming customers back to Poppleton Bar and increasing the number of people who travelled with it every day.

“Using our all-electric buses provides a quieter, calmer journey into the city, helps avoid congestion and reduce carbon emissions," he said.

“We will also be introducing our newly-repowered single decker buses to operate from Poppleton which will offer a quality travel experience in comfort.”