Park And Sail Starts In Portsmouth

27 July 2013, 07:33 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

You've heard of Park and Ride - now Portsmouth has Park and Sail.

It's a new scheme launching today (27th July) where shoppers can sail into Gunwharf from Portsmouth International Port to avoid traffic on the road.

Shoppers can get off the M275 at the exit for the Portsmouth International Port and leave their vehicle in the multi-storey car park, where a shuttle bus will take them to a waiting boat. As part of the 25 minute trip into Gunwharf, there is a tour of the harbour, including the Royal Navy ships and the sea view of the Spinnaker Tower.

The service runs until August 26th and will be leaving Portsmouth International Port on the hour between 10am-5pm, returning at half past the hour from 10:30am-6:30pm from Gunwharf Quays. It costs £5 to park for the day with no additional cost for the boat trip.

Park and Sail is part of the 'My Journey Portsmouth' travel campaign which encourages people to move away from using their private cars and choose to walk, cycle, use public transport or car share on some or all of their journeys.

'My Journey’ is funded by the Department for Transport and is being delivered by Portsmouth City Council. Over the next two years Portsmouth will see a variety of infrastructure schemes in the city as part of the project – including new dedicated cycle routes – as well as useful information, products and services to help residents overcome the barriers to travelling sustainably.

Councillor Jason Fazackarley, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment said: "As Portsmouth is an Island and there are only three strategic routes to the mainland, congestion is a very real issue, especially at weekends. The aim of the Park and Sail service is to reduce congestion on the roads, attract more visitors to the area and improve connectivity between the motorway, port and Gunwharf Quays. With parking at only £5 per vehicle the service will hopefully be a strong draw for tourists visiting the area."