Udecott Xmas gift to San Fernando shoppers: Free park & ride

FROM December 1, Udecott is offering a free Christmas park and ride shuttle service from the Parkade on King’s Wharf, to shoppers on High and Mucurapo Streets and Library corner, San Fernando.

President of the San Fernando Greater Chamber Kiran Singh advocated for the arrangement, which will be in effect from December 1-30, from Monday-Saturday, 8 am-4 pm.

Singh saw it as a solution to address both space constraints in downtown San Fernando and to guarantee occupation of the $132 million parkade, which has been virtually empty since it opened in August.

The business community will also restart its Sunday Shopping Experience in San Fernando, from December 3.

Singh welcomed the park and ride service, and said shoppers had no excuse not to shop in the main centres as the prices were much more affordable and quality on par with what was offered in the malls.

“It is a great opportunity for San Fernando. Business people would now have more choices to park, in a facility that has 24-hour physical as well as security cameras and is well lit."

He told the Newsday while shopping on High Street was more competitive than the malls, one of the disincentives has always been parking.

“We don’t have the space, and of course, the vendors continue to occupy a large portion of the streets.

“While the logistics for this situation are being worked out by the mayor and the MP, we can benefit from the use of the parkade in the short to medium term.”

Singh said parking in the government facility was still too costly at $8 per hour, compared to private car parks downtown, which charge $5 per hour. He called on Udecott to review the rate, as the parkade was far from High Street andmeant taking a taxi, at a cost of an additional $5 or $6.

Depending on how the system works over the month-long trial period, Singh said it may continue until January, or even until Carnival in February.

He said the route for the shuttle will have several drop-off and pick-up points on High Street, Library Corner and Mucurapo Street to and from the parkade.