RESIDENTS OF Dundee’s east end may benefit from a park-and-ride facility in the future, with reports that commuters are already operating an “unofficial” system.

Improved bus services between the city centre and areas such as Ethiebeaton Park and Panmurefield Village have resulted in a number of commuters parking at the Angus Gateway shopping outlet or leaving their vehicles in Panmurefield before heading to work by public transport.

Such systems have proved successful in other areas of the UK, easing rush-hour congestion and reducing the ever-growing carbon footprint.

The increasing number of housing developments along the A92 Arbroath Road, including Balmossie Meadow and Clearwater Park, and the 300 homes set to be built on land east of Sainsbury’s supermarket are also expected to result in a greater number of people commuting to and from the city’s east end.

As reported in The Courier at the weekend, a cross-Tay study has been commissioned to determine whether Dundee would benefit from a park-and-ride service over the Tay.

A similar system has helped people commuting from Fife across the Forth to Edinburgh, while schemes have also been introduced in Kinross and Stirling.

Broughty Ferry councillor Rod Wallace said last night that he had been aware of the “unofficial” park-and-ride system in the east end for some time.

“We have a very excellent 13 and 14 bus service to the city centre and Ninewells Hospital which passes through Panmurefield Village,” he said.

“The number 13 goes into the centre and the 14 bypasses the centre and goes up the Kingsway to Ninewells Hospital. These have proved a big hit.

“I regularly go to Dobbie’s in Ethiebeaton Park and have often seen cars parking on a rough bit of ground, using it as an ‘unofficial’ park and ride facility.

“It’s a £1.20 bus fare into the town from there and it arguably improves the green footprint.”

Mr Wallace is a board member of the Tayside and Central Scotland Transport Partnership (Tactran), whose role is to bring together local authorities and other key regional stakeholders and create a regional transport strategy for the next 10-15 years.

Mr Wallace said one of the proposals being mooted was a park-and-ride service for the east end of Dundee to make the existing system more official.

“The board looks at regional transport priorities and we have been doing a lot of consultations over the last few months,” he said.

“One of the big priorities is the new Dundee bypass, because the Kingsway is saturated with traffic.”

Mr Wallace added that the Scottish Government now had to evaluate Tactran’s proposals and he is hopeful funding may be made available for a park-and-ride facility.