TAUNTON’S park-and-ride service celebrated its first anniversary back in November 2006.

The service, from Silk Mills on the western side of town to Corporation Street, had been launched on November 26, 2005, to provide a cheap way to get into the town centre without having to drive and park.

Special lanes were installed along the bus route into the town centre so the buses could beat traffic jams during rush hour.

Speaking about the first year, Cllr Tony Shire, Somerset County Council portfolio holder for highways, said: “The county council is extremely pleased with the way park-and-ride has been received and used by the people of Somerset.

“The partnership with Cooks has brought about a high-quality service which stands up well against similar park-and-rides elsewhere in the UK.

“Having achieved our first year’s target six weeks early we’re now revising our targets for next year.”

The service cost £1.50 return and ran from Monday to Saturday with buses every 10 to 12 minutes (six minutes at peak times) from 7.30am to 7pm.

Plans were also moving forward for a second park-and-ride east of Taunton near Junction 25 of the M5.

The East of Taunton Park-and-Ride (ETPR) was being proposed for Cambria Farm, just of the motorway junction at Henlade.

Ruishton Parish Council was set to hear a presentation on the proposals by Somerset County Council the following month.

A county council spokesman said: “The plans for Cambria Farm are being finalised and will be put to Ruishton Parish Council next month for their views.

“We then hope to be able to submit a planning application in January, and then a public consultation will be launched.”

The county council was hoping construction would begin on the park-and-ride in May 2008, with its opening that summer.

The plan included parking for 1,200 cars, access roads and junction arrangements on the A358, a long distance coach pick-up/drop-off facility, bus priority measures and cycle measures to the town centre.