[Albion] What Amex Improvements Would YOU Like To See Over The Summer?

[Bob!]

Might be an unpopular idea but I'd like to see Park and Ride buses limited to those actually parking at the P and R sites. A lot of people wander up to the Racecourse site on foot and join the queue for a free bus. Not a huge problem pre-match with staggered arrival times but a major issue post-match when the same people expect to be ferried back to the Racecourse area free of charge while those who have parked there and haven;t left before the final whistle, have to wait -- often for 45 minutes or more.

The P and R service is a great idea so why should it be free? Why not charge a few quid per car (as most other P and R services across Europe seem to)? Give a token to all car drivers arriving at the P and R site, or a ticket for every car passenger, and have those travelling back after the game show the tickets to get on the bus back? The revenue raised could easily make the service self-financing and could even improve it.

If the club charged for the service, they could establish other P and R sites further out from the Amex to reduce post-match congestion.

Surely reducing car use is part of the reason for the clubs transport policy.
Are you suggesting that people that are able to walk to a P&R site instead have to drive to it to be able to use it?

 

[BN9 BHA]

For many years I lived in Germany and was a regular Bundesliga attendee. Throughout the entire game, people around you are popping out to buy 4, 6, even 8 half litres of beer to fetch back for their friends in the same row/area.

Oh joy
No thanks, I have people in my row that are late for kick off, out to the concourse before HT, late back after HT and leaving before FT.
I could do without people doing this for the entire game when I’m trying to watch the match, especially now we are seeing some very decent football.

As mentioned we would have some that will be chucking beer around.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

Surely reducing car use is part of the reason for the clubs transport policy.
Are you suggesting that people that are able to walk to a P&R site instead have to drive to it to be able to use it?

I'm saying that they can get a normal bus or train to the ground, and not muscle in on the special buses provided to service a set number of fans driving in from further afield who opt to use the park and ride. As mentioned, pre-match is less critical as the arrivals at the P+R are staggered over 2 hours or so. The chaos comes after the match when the P+R buses back to the Racecourse are overwhelmed by those who aren’t actually using the parking but just fancy a lazy shortcut. If there was charge for the P+R buses it might push some of the freeloaders onto regular services on which they don’t have to pay.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

Oh joy
No thanks, I have people in my row that are late for kick off, out to the concourse before HT, late back after HT and leaving before FT.
I could do without people doing this for the entire game when I’m trying to watch the match, especially now we are seeing some very decent football.

As mentioned we would have some that will be chucking beer around.

It’s really not that onerous or inconvenient though I accept that I might have made it sound so.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

Is it free, or part of an already inflated ticket cost?

How would the many thousand non car drivers using Mill Road p&r get home?

If they’ve travelled to Mill Rd as passengers in a car using the P+R then they travel back with the driver again on the bus.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

It’s really not that onerous or inconvenient though I accept that I might have made it sound so.

It is

 

[jcdenton08]

Really hoping they’ve cracked on with the deep clean.

 

[Ooh it’s a corner]

Might be an unpopular idea but I'd like to see Park and Ride buses limited to those actually parking at the P and R sites. A lot of people wander up to the Racecourse site on foot and join the queue for a free bus. Not a huge problem pre-match with staggered arrival times but a major issue post-match when the same people expect to be ferried back to the Racecourse area free of charge while those who have parked there and haven;t left before the final whistle, have to wait -- often for 45 minutes or more.

The P and R service is a great idea so why should it be free? Why not charge a few quid per car (as most other P and R services across Europe seem to)? Give a token to all car drivers arriving at the P and R site, or a ticket for every car passenger, and have those travelling back after the game show the tickets to get on the bus back? The revenue raised could easily make the service self-financing and could even improve it.

If the club charged for the service, they could establish other P and R sites further out from the Amex to reduce post-match congestion.

Anything involving checking of tickets when getting on the bus after the game would just delay everything further though imo

 

[BN9 BHA]

It’s really not that onerous or inconvenient though I accept that I might have made it sound so.

Maybe not in Germany, I think we have a different breed of piss head here

 

[Rogero]

More shelving . There is lots of wasted wall space that I need to put my two pints on .

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

I can only assume the club are planting stooges now. People want to pay for park and ride to stop people walking and riding - wtf

 

[Cheeky Monkey]

More shelving . There is lots of wasted wall space that I need to put my two pints on .

Or fill the wall space with posters: 'Why Do You Need to be in an Altered State to Watch Football?'

 

[Weststander]

If they’ve travelled to Mill Rd as passengers in a car using the P+R then they travel back with the driver again on the bus.

I live near Mill Road P&R, I pay the club’s travel supplement within my ST, so I’m as entitled to use the buses as much as home/away fans using their cars. At the same time I’m adding no CO2 by my means of getting to the ground.

The whole Mill Road operation is far more important than getting just 450 plus folk in cars to the ground.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Haven't there been various beer dispensers in the North and elsewhere either trialled or introduced last season ?
And aren't there plans in the next 12 months to increase the outlets that sell beer outside the stadium, with a roof and toilets.
AND there's plans for "improved" signage. Where did it all go wrong ? ha ha.

Yep, l don't us them, but there were certainly plenty of self service beder dispensers available in the Lower West at the tail end of last season.

I don't actually know how much say PB, and the club in general, have over catering matters, as they have employed Sodexo to look after sujch things. How far does Sodexo's remit actually go?

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Is it free, or part of an already inflated ticket cost?

How would the many thousand non car drivers using Mill Road p&r get home?

Mill Road to the Amex isn't far as the crow flies, (or via the A27), but to make the journey via public transport takes an age, having to walk down the hill and take a number 5 bus into town, then change to a 25.

Yes l can totally see why those living locally jump on the P & R. If l lived nearby l would be doing exactly the same thing.

Should the club charge the non parkers for the privilege? I'm not sure, but l've a feeling that the logistics, and cost involved of having to take payment and issue tickets or tokens, makes it a non starter in the club's eyes.

 

[chaileyjem]

Yep, l don't us them, but there were certainly plenty of self service beder dispensers available in the Lower West at the tail end of last season.

I don't actually know how much say PB, and the club in general, have over catering matters, as they have employed Sodexo to look after sujch things. How far does Sodexo's remit actually go?

Remit ? Albion are the client. They might have some input there ...

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Mill Road to the Amex isn't far as the crow flies, (or via the A27), but to make the journey via public transport takes an age, having to walk down the hill and take a number 5 bus into town, then change to a 25.

Yes l can totally see why those living locally jump on the P & R. If l lived nearby l would be doing exactly the same thing.

Should the club charge the non parkers for the privilege? I'm not sure, but l've a feeling that the logistics, and cost involved of having to take payment and issue tickets or tokens, makes it a non starter in the club's eyes.

Here's what Google Maps saying about the timings of the various modes of transport from Mill Road to the Amex. Bit of a no-brainer if you live nearby to catch the P&R, even if that's not really what it's there for. Who wouldn't?

 

[Javeaseagull]

I'm saying that they can get a normal bus or train to the ground, and not muscle in on the special buses provided to service a set number of fans driving in from further afield who opt to use the park and ride. As mentioned, pre-match is less critical as the arrivals at the P+R are staggered over 2 hours or so. The chaos comes after the match when the P+R buses back to the Racecourse are overwhelmed by those who aren’t actually using the parking but just fancy a lazy shortcut. If there was charge for the P+R buses it might push some of the freeloaders onto regular services on which they don’t have to pay.

Pedestrians using P + R have paid for this via their ticket, no? Am I bring whooshed?

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Not seeing the difference between “park and riders” and “riders”

If anyone has an issue with locals using the service that they have paid for as well then maybe tell them how far you’ve travelled and see if they bow down?

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Not seeing the difference between “park and riders” and “riders”

If anyone has an issue with locals using the service that they have paid for as well then maybe tell them how far you’ve travelled and see if they bow down?

Well exactly, and if you are a supporter ever since the Goldstone days, and regularly make the hike to Gillingham, they should bow down even lower.