Amex travel questions and *now* answers

[Herr Tubthumper]

Before you all get very "Daily Mail" over this, perhaps you would like to hear something from the other side.

As a multiple sclerosis sufferer, I have a blue badge. In the 12 years we've been at Withdean, I've used it
twice, once when I couldn't walk from the taxi drop off point and once when recovering from a heart attack.

I've missed games when I've been too disabled to enjoy it but I really resent your inference that we don't
deserve a blue badge.

The people I know with severe handicaps try their hardest to fit in as 'normal' with their able-bodied friends
You come over as a narrow minded bigot!

I was not for one minute suggesting anthing of the sort, or that disabled people are not deserving of blue badges and by extension assistance with access in general. My rant is aimed at a significant number of blue badge abusers....which do exist. By this I mean people using badges fraudulantly.

I'm only too aware of the genuine need for blue badges and the benefit which they provide as my father is disabled since youth and wheelchair bound. As a consquence I feel I am reasonably qualified to talk about mobility and access issues as I've been on the sharp end of it all my life...and I'm 42.

As for the Daily Mail comment, have you ever read any of my other posts?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Crikey -Is anyone actually going to answer these questions?

Hopefully, yes.

As Bozza points out at the top of the thread, the questions will be collated and passed to the Club, in the hope that clear answers will be forthcoming.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I think blind visitors to Falmer have a reserved space in the match officials' car park.

There definitely is reserved parking for the blind. My friend has ST for himself and his blind grandson. We were discussing this only yesterday.

(actually, to be slightly more specific, we were discussing the 3 spare seats in the back of his car... )

 

[Chester Drawers]

Just rang the Customer Services line to enquire about blue badge parking in general - I was a little bit shocked that as a genuine "blue badge" holder the purchasing of a disabled parking season ticket was mentioned - is it legal to rent a disabled parking space out?

 

[Jam The Man]

Not sure if this is a suitable place, but clearly there are stories of people having purchased their travel vouchers and been either:

a) not charged a booking fee
b) charged a booking fee either £2.50 or £2

Can this be clarified please?

 

[teaboy]

How will disabled AWAY fans be accommodated in the limited reserved parking? How many spaces will be available to them?

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Crikey -Is anyone actually going to answer these questions? A few speculative attempts but nothing official by the looks of it. I have to drive (from Horsham) and the prospect of trying to buy a parking space doesn't look good from talk on another thread. So I'm left with the P&R or on street somewhere .. and as someone else mentioned better get it sorted soon or it'll be gridlock at 2.30pm on match days and will soon piss everyone off - home fans, away fans and residents. Also agree that looking to extend capacity before all this is nailed down would be foolish

There may very well be valid reasons why you arent able to, but how about this as a more sustainable way of traveling to the Amex?. Take the hourly 17 bus from Horsham to London Road, changing to a 25, 28, or 29 up to Falmer?. You can use a travel voucher on the Henfield to Falmer portion of the journey too, so you only have to pay from Horsham to Henfield and back.

 

[Norman Potting]

Are B & H running any "extra" buses on route 29 services from Crowborough? Will there be any management so that people travelling beyond Lewes will be able to get on to these services back from the stadium ahead of those just going as far as Lewes? Are B&H planning to make the purchase of "Saver" tickets online so that you can print them out yourself rather than getting them by post.

 

[Arkwright]

With the club clearly wanting supporters to travel to the games by train, I am concerned about missing connections for mid-week games to get back home.

Would the club consider 7.30pm kick off's in order to clear the stadium by a reasonable hour?

Maybe I just being selfish but I don't fancy mucking about trying to get home after an evening kick off.

 

[bhadeb]

I think it was 28.

Plus some down the slope near the South Stand entrance - the club allowed my Mum to park there as she is in a wheelchair

 

[bhadeb]

My mother is disabled and the club had confirmed (via Bods) that they would NOT be charging for Disabled parking. They then release a statement to say they are charging not £30.00 like park and ride but £180.00. I feel that as someone before has said this is discrimination. We are currently waiting for Richard Hebbard to callback. She also raised the question what if she can't get to park in the 46 bays and was told we can park in the university and I can push her in a wheelchair from there! My mother has severe arthritis and she would love to be able to use the park and ride and not have to use a wheelchair but this is no longer possible. The club are fully aware of how her arthritis has got worse over the years by allowing her to park in the disabled car park when she was able to walk a short distance to her seat in the north stand, and then when she had to use a wheelchair allowing her to park down the slope nearer the South stand entrance at the Withdean which she has done for 2 years.
Not bad her being treated like this considering she has supported the club all her life and has been a STH at The Goldstone, travelled to Gillingham and has sufferred the Withdean for all these years.

Also this is not having a pop at 1901 (my brother has a seat and a parking space!!) but it seems that the club are more concerned that they sort their spaces than disabled.
Also we know a steward that has been advised that they can have a space if they car share!! Our stewards surely don't have a mobility issue do they?
Someone seriously needs to look at what is going on!!

 

[Gazwag]

Also this is not having a pop at 1901 (my brother has a seat and a parking space!!)

Not wishing to appear rude and I know nothing about your mothers situation, but couldn't your brother take her to the game.

 

[bhadeb]

Not wishing to appear rude and I know nothing about your mothers situation, but couldn't your brother take her to the game.

No he can't as he has too have a full car load of "1901" to get a space - we thought of that too!!

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

The club has announced that:
1) There are 650 parking spaces available for 1901 club members in Bennett's Field
2) 700 pre-bookable parking spaces are available for purchase by STHs located on the Univ of Sussex campus
3) 46 pre-bookable parking spaces are available for purchase for disabled attendees

According to B&HCC, the club has acquired 2,004 near site, match day parking spaces; this exceeds the minimum requirement (2,000) specified in the stadium planning consent.
Where are the "missing" 608 spaces located, will they be available to fans (home and/or away, disabled etc) and on what basis? Information on the Univ of Sussex website currently indicates that there are 1,100 pre-bookable spaces available for day time matches and 700 for evening games. If correct, where will the 400 "unavailable" spaces be located during evening games or, if there is no alternative location, how will the club continue to comply with the conditions of the planning consent?

 

[Return of the Rev]

Travel vouchers

Great that the club are offering cheap travel to the ac stadium but are they pushing more people onto a railway network thats gonna struggle? Are they going to support supporters groups running coaches to the same level? Transport issues are key to any future developments at falmer. We have over 150 people interested in coach travel so far from the mid sussex area will they now be pushed onto the trains.

 

[Deleted member 18477]

Great that the club are offering cheap travel to the ac stadium but are they pushing more people onto a railway network thats gonna struggle? Are they going to support supporters groups running coaches to the same level? Transport issues are key to any future developments at falmer. We have over 150 people interested in coach travel so far from the mid sussex area will they now be pushed onto the trains.

i was going to contact that mid sussex coach group that pick up from haywards, bhill and hassocks... but now will be P & R or going by train simply because its a 1/5 of the cost.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN POSTED, AS AT TUESDAY EVENING, 5 JULY. Some have been reworded, to ensure that they are "general" questions, rather than questions that are specific to an individual poster's circumstances:-


TRAVEL VOUCHERS

When will Travel Vouchers become available?

Will books of Travel Vouchers be sold on-line?

Travel Vouchers come in books of 30. Are the vouchers specific to a particular match?

Some fans committed to paying £25 for a book of 25 Travel Vouchers when they attended season ticket presentations. Will they now have to pay an additional £5 to obtain a book of 30 vouchers?

Can unused Vouchers be carried over to next season?

Are Travel Vouchers transferable to other fans?

Can one book of Vouchers be shared between several people, travelling together (eg a group of people using park & ride)?

Will one Voucher be sufficient for a journey that involves both a bus and a train, or two buses run by different companies (Stagecoach and Brighton & Hove), or two buses run by B&H Buses?

Will it be possible for fans who cannot attend most games to purchase single Vouchers?

Are all passengers using park & ride services required to have Travel Vouchers, or can some users (eg young children, senior citizens, etc) travel without a Voucher?

Will Travel Vouchers be made available to away fans?

Can the Club clarify whether there is a booking fee for purchasing Travel Vouchers?


BUS SERVICES

Will the post-match regular scheduled buses to Brighton call at the stadium? Or should passengers wait for them at the stop outside Falmer Station?

Where will the regular buses to Lewes pick up passengers, post-match? What is the pedestrian route to the bus stop?

Will passengers without a Travel Voucher be able to pay cash on the football special buses (eg the buses from Shoreham or the shuttle service from Rottingdean)?

How many buses does the bus company intend to use on the football special services? Will there be enough capacity to carry everyone who wants to use a football special, especially those people living closer to the ground than the early pick up points?

Do the bus companies (including Stagecoach) plan to run any extra matchday service buses or football specials from areas outside Brighton (eg Haywards Heath)?

Will there be any special buses running from Telscombe, Saltdean, Rottingdean and Woodingdean?

Young people aged 5-19 currently pay 20 pence for bus journeys they make on B&H local buses when they hold a BusID pass and are travelling with a fare paying adult. Will travelling with an Albion Travel Voucher holder on a local B&H bus service count as travelling with a fare-paying adult?

Will Brighton & Hove Buses be running extra buses on the route from Tunbridge Wells, Crowborough and Uckfield?

Will arrangements be made post-match to ensure that fans returning by bus to places beyond Lewes (eg Uckfield, Crowborough and Tunbridge Wells) get priority over Lewes-bound passengers to ensure that they can get a place on one of the few journeys that will be available to meet their needs?

Are B&H Buses planning to make the purchase of "Saver" tickets online so that you can print them out yourself rather than getting them by post?


TRAIN SERVICES

Some train journeys have a “kids for a pound” deal for young people accompanying a fare paying adult. Will this deal be available when the adult is using a Travel Voucher?

What extra train services will be running on matchdays (Saturdays and evenings, pre-match and post-match)?

When will the matchday train timetables be published?

When evening games are played, what is the latest time to catch a train from Falmer to ensure a connection with a train to Haywards Heath or beyond?

Can the Club provide an estimate of how many spaces on trains will be available for supporters, pre-match and post-match – for both Saturday games and evening games?


PARK & RIDE SERVICES

Is every passenger in a car required to have a Travel Voucher? Or is it one voucher per car?

Will it be possible to pay cash to travel on a park & ride bus?

Will car users who turn up at a park & ride site without a travel voucher for each passenger be turned away?

Is park & ride available to away fans?

Will "Walk Up and Go" passengers, "Kiss and Riders" and cyclists who park at, say, Mithras House or the Racecourse, and then use the park & ride buses, have to produce a Travel Voucher?

Are Senior Citizens’ Concessionary Bus Passes valid on the park & ride buses?

What happens when a park & ride site becomes full? How will this be publicised on the day?

Does the Club have any plans to increase the number of park & ride spaces available?

Has Withdean Stadium been considered as a site? Would Waterhall be acceptable as an emergency overflow site, should Mill Road fill up?

How many buses will be used for each park and ride?


COACH SERVICES

Do Travel Vouchers give a discount on coach journeys? Or is the Club's subsidy to coaches paid in some other way? And does it apply to all coach services?

Is the subsidy being given to coach travel sufficient, or will comparatively high coach prices from places like Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and Hassocks have the effect of encouraging fans from these areas to travel on an already overcrowded train network?


COMMUNITY ORGANISED COACH & MINIBUS SERVICES

Is there capacity in the coach park for all community organised coaches and minibuses to park and pick up passengers at the end of the match?


PARKING FOR DISABLED PEOPLE

Bearing in mind that there are only 46 disabled parking spaces that are available to buy (on a seasonal basis only, at a price of £130 a season), what criteria will be used to decide which disabled people will be permitted to buy these places? And who will decide?

Is it fair to charge for a disabled parking space?

Did the Club advise BODS that disabled parking spaces would be made available free of charge?

If a Blue Badge holder (or other disabled supporter) is unsuccessful in applying for one of the available disabled parking spaces, what alternatives will be offered?

If none of the alternatives is suitable, will the Club offer a refund on the season ticket and PSL that has been purchased?

Are there any plans to help disabled people get from the Sussex University car park to the stadium, if they find that they are unable to get a designated disabled parking space, but do succeed in getting a space elsewhere on the University campus?

If a wheelchair is necessary to assist a disabled supporter to get from Sussex University to the stadium, does the Club propose to make wheelchairs (and pushers) available for this purpose?

Where at the stadium can wheelchairs be parked?

Will it be possible for disabled supporters who do not have an allocated parking space to be dropped off and picked up close to the stadium entrance?

What arrangements are being made for disabled parking spaces to be made available to away fans? How many spaces will be available? And where will they be located?


NEAR-STADIUM CAR PARKING

Will there be any parking available at Sussex University (or another nearby car park) on a match by match basis?

What is the recommended walking route between the car parking areas and the stadium? Is it safely lit?

Will the registration numbers of cars parked at the University be cross checked against season ticket seat numbers?

How will “block parking – bumper to bumper” (as promised on the Sussex University website) work? Will this delay post-match departure times?

Is free matchday parking being made available to stewards and other stadium staff?

The club has announced that: There are 650 parking spaces available for 1901 club members in Bennett's Field; 700 pre-bookable parking spaces are available for purchase by STHs located on the Sussex University campus; 46 pre-bookable parking spaces are available for purchase for disabled attendees. According to the City Council, there are 2,004 near site, match day parking spaces. Where are the other 608 spaces located? Who will they be made available to? And on what basis?

Information on the Sussex University website states that there are 1,100 pre-bookable spaces available for day time matches and 700 for evening games. How will the shortfall be met for evening games? If there is no alternative location, how will the club continue to comply with the conditions of the planning consent?


MOPEDS & MOTOR CYCLES

What parking is available near the stadium for mopeds and motor cycles?


PARKING IN NEARBY RESIDENTIAL AREAS

Do stewards have any legal authority to prevent parking in nearby residential areas (eg Coldean or Moulsecoomb)? If fans do park legally in these areas, will any enforcement action be taken?

Are there any plans for any additional, legally enforceable, matchday parking restrictions to be introduced in Coldean or Moulsecoomb?

Bearing in mind the fact that there will inevitably be people (including away fans) who are unable to use any alternative to the car to get to games, what advice will the Club give them about where to park, assuming that paid parking near the stadium won’t be available and there is a likelihood that park & ride spaces will be fully subscribed?


KICK OFF TIMES OF EVENING MATCHES

Has the Club considered a 7.30pm kick-off time, to clear the stadium in a timely way, and help fans who need to make travel connections as part of their journeys home?


TRAVEL DATA

Will the Club publish the information collected in the travel survey conducted when season tickets were on sale?

 

[trueblue]

Good work Lord B.

Personally, wouldn't fancy 730 evening kick-offs though. I think a lot of people struggle to get there for 745 after work, let alone 15 minutes earlier.

 

[Paskman]

Well done Lord Bracknell - look foward to the answers.

 

[teaboy]

Got another one re: disabled parking.

If a fan 'purchases' a disabled parking space for the season, what happens to the space if they cannot attend individual matches? Will it be 'reserved' and empty, or will there be a system in place to effectively sub-let it to either other disabled fans (via the club holding a waiting list), non-disabled friends of the 'owner', or free on a first-come-first-served basis from a publicised cut-off time on match-day?