Bridlington visitors and residents told to prepare for traffic delays
People are being urged to consider using the town's Park and Ride.
East Riding Council’s tourism portfolio holder has told visitors and residents prepare for traffic delays in coastal resort towns bracing for a bumper summer for holidays.
East Riding Council’s Tourism Portfolio Holder Cllr Jane Evison said visitors to Bridlington should consider using its Park & Ride to curb the anticipated traffic delays.
She added the council’s South Cliff Holiday Park was currently 94 per cent occupied, a trend mirrored across East Riding establishments which are seeing a “rise” in summer bookings.
It comes as Cllr Evison told East Riding ward members last week the local tourism industry had reported a surge in bookings this year amid the coronavirus staycation boom.
The comments also follow a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) call for tourists to visit East Yorkshire beaches safely as lifeguards brace for one of the busiest summers ever.
But the portfolio holder added the rise in bookings, which the council hopes will partly fuel the East Riding’s economic recovery from the pandemic, would bring traffic and other challenges.
Cllr Evison said tourists and visitors to local venues and attractions should book in advance to make sure they get in.
She also called on all visitors to continue falling coronavirus restrictions including maintaining social distancing, particularly while indoors.
The portfolio holder said:
“As we begin to enter the next phase of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown restrictions, we are seeing a positive rise in bookings this summer for our East Coast destinations.
“We look forward to visitors returning again to the miles of beaches and open spaces we have here, unique to other areas.
“For holidaymakers visiting the East Coast, we would remind people to continue following current government guidelines around coronavirus.
“Already, the council has maintained measures with visible coroanvirus safety signage and we would like to continue to remind our visitors to pre-book venues they intend to visit, where possible, to ensure availability.
“We are also aware that with increased numbers visiting the coast, there will likely be an increase in traffic so we would encourage people to use the Park & Ride service situated next to Wilsthorpe Beach in Bridlington.
“Visitors can park all day for only £5.50, which entitles up to five people to utilise the transport service into and back from Bridlington for no additional cost.
“This of course also eases the pressure on the roads in and around the town.
“We would also advise people that peak travelling times around Bridlington are from approximately 10am to 1pm, and then outbound from 4pm to 6pm.
“When planning a journey, please be mindful of this and utilise fully the areas outside of the town centre to avoid delays.”