Travel Plan 2009-10
The Oxon Park and Ride Service has been deleted because it is no longer financially viable. Supporters should travel to the Shirehall from where they can catch a bus to the Stadium and return after matches. Alternatively Tanat Valley run a supporters coach from Oswestry which calls at the shops at Bicton at approximately 14.05 on Saturdays and approximately 19.05 for mid-week matches. Bookings for this coach should be made with Chris Smith - Tele: 01952 604742.
The mid-week service from the town centre has also been withdrawn but a service will be provided when the need arises. This will be publicised on the Club's website.
The travel liaison group has been in place since the travel plan was instigated with the move to the Prostar Stadium. Town's vice-chairman Keith Sayfritz and Mike Ashton are the clubs representatives on the travel liaison group.
ShrewsWeb spoke to Keith about the travel plan and how it has been going: "Given as it is now government policy for stadia and other major buildings to have a travel plan it is something that we have worked hard to make work. If the Sixth Form College in town had amalgamated then they would have need to implement a very comprehensive travel plan.
"We were required to set up a liaison group made up of all the council, local residents, emergency services as well as ourselves. It wasn't easy in the early days to find common ground but what we have experienced over the last 2 years is a growing relationship between the parties which has been of great benefit to everyone and to the community.
"The way that the 106 agreement works is unless amendments are against government it is the liaison group itself that decides what changes should be instigated in the best interests of everyone.
"An example of that is a couple of changes that we have recently implemented."
The Park and Ride scheme works from a number of sites around the Town but as mentioned above the Oxon site won't be in operation this season: "We had a meeting of the liaison in June where it was agreed that the Oxon Park and Ride site would not be used for the forthcoming season.
"That decision was taken as the costs of running Oxon were unrealistically high for the football club and out of all the sites that we use it was underused and becoming a financial burden.
"At the meeting the liaison group supported the club's application, with the full support of the Shropshire Council that Oxon wouldn't be in operation.
"What we will do is make sure that the signage takes people from the A5 to the Shire Hall site.
"There is the bus service from Oswestry which will now stop at Oxon to give people another option in the new travel plan."
Another service which will cease to run is the midweek service from the centre of Town to the Prostar: "We were required to run a bus service from the town centre to the stadium.
"The Saturday service has proved to be pretty popular with an average number of 69 passengers using it over the season.
"Unfortunately the Tuesday night service averaged 16 passengers and the cost of operating that service has become prohibitive.
"The travel liaison group has agreed with the clubs request that the Tuesday night town centre service be removed from the travel plan."
The travel plan is under constant review by all parties. These two changes have been made on underused services but the travel plan will continue to be monitored and adjusted to react to demand: "One of the members of the liaison group is Chris Lawley who is a member of the Federation of Stadium Communities and he has worked with a number of clubs on their travel plans.
"Chris has always said that the travel plan is a moving living document.
"The members of the liaison group fully accept that the club is serious about having a travel plan and that we are in no way trying to get out of our obligations.
"We are working together to give good travel options to our fans and to respect the community that we are live in."
