THE consequences of failing to introduce a £2.50 car parking charge at a city park-and-ride to encourage car sharing have been spelled out.

The trial scheme, proposed at the Sealand Road park and ride, led to objections from some commuters and pensioners who said they would be unable to car share and would face an increase in cost.

The city council's customer services portfolio holder, Cllr Stephen Mosley, (Con, Handbridge & St Mary's) told a meeting of the full council a car with four passengers would have paid £2.50 to park compared to four fares of £1.70 totalling £6.80.

"So all those people who were going to benefit, all those people who would benefit from more environmentally friendly travel into the city and who would have saved money as they would have seen prices more than halved for four people in a car, will not benefit," he said.

Cllr Mosley argued that initially the idea had all party support before last May's elections.

"At the beginning of this year we put forward a proposal to the highways committee to change the pay per person charge on the park and ride to pay by car.

"This had a number of benefits.

"It would have put Chester at the forefront of the green revolution by encouraging people to car share into the city rather than having individual journeys into the city centre in their cars.

"And at the time it was supported by all of the political parties.

"It was supported by all the Lib Dems on the highways committee and it was supported by all but one of the Labour members.

"But of course that was before an election.

"The Labour and Lib Dem parties were not going into an election on a non environmentally friendly policy and rallied behind the Conservative's green manifesto".

After the election, he said, it was then voted out as the Tories do not a majority on the committee.

Lib Dem leader Cllr Paul Roberts (Farndon) described the proposed trial as "silly."

At the time, customer services director Sharn Matthews recommended that despite 25 letters and two petitions, one with 365 signatures which described the cost as "absolutely disgusting", the charge should be introduced.

"We need to take heed of single occupants for whom car sharing is not possible,'' suggested County Cllr David Rowlands (Con, Mickle Trafford).