JUST 93 people used a council park and ride scheme that bosses had hoped would persuade shoppers to visit a North-East town during the Christmas period, it has emerged.

In the 13 weeks that the Darlington Saturday-only park and ride scheme operated from Darlington College, the highest number of people that used the service on a single day was 15.

Since Christmas, the service has not been used by a single motorist and is now closed.

Councillor David Lyonette, cabinet member for transport at the authority, admitted that the scheme “didn’t particularly work” and blamed the shape of the town for motorists failing to use the service.

The park and ride scheme, organised by Darlington Borough Council in conjunction with Arriva, was set up to replace parking spaces lost in the town centre once building work started on the Feethams development.

The scheme has been defended by Darlington Borough Council, who pointed out that it was a low cost trial, using existing Arriva services that ran past the college, rather than hired vehicles.

Even before the trial started in October a number of councillors from all three parties had expressed doubts about whether a town the size of Darlington needed a park and ride.

Council leader Bill Dixon had himself expressed doubts about its viability but said in December that it was better for the council to be prepared rather than not try at all.

Asked for a report on the park and ride scheme by Liberal Democrat councillor Alan Macnab, Cllr Lyonette said: “It was a good trial. We had heard that people would like a park and ride system.

“I wouldn’t say that it was a total failure, but it didn’t particularly work.

“The shape of the town, and the different ways to get into the town and to the college, meant that it didn’t particularly work for people.”

Cllr Lyonette did not reveal the figures at full council but The Northern Echo requested the numbers from the authority.

A council spokeswoman said: “With extra demand due to festive shopping, and with the start of work on the Feethams development, we had to plan to make sure there were enough spaces to cater for demand.

“Park and Ride was always intended to be a pilot scheme and it ran alongside other parking promotions including discount offers in other town centre car parks.

“Town centre car park ticket sales were up in December 2014 compared to December 2013 by 5.6 per cent - this may suggest that the extra demand was met in other town centre car parks.”