A MAJOR new park and ride scheme in South East Cornwall could be one way to reduce the number of cars on the Tamar Bridge.

The bridge is set to reach capacity in the next 10-15 years, but the thousands of new houses being built in Saltash and the wider district will mean more motorists needing to cross the Tamar.

Councillors in Cornwall and Plymouth will meet next week to discuss a study carried out into the use of the bridge and ferry.

The Tamar Crossings Travel Analysis Study shows that more than 19 million cars, vans and lorries used the bridge in 2015. Derriford (hospital and enterprise area) was by far the most common destination for those crossing the Tamar, with Plymouth City Centre second.

The peak afternoon return journey into Cornwall is the most immediate concern in terms of volume: traffic would be close to exceeding capacity by 2021, the report states.

Among the ideas put forward to improve the situation is a park and ride service in South East Cornwall, for which no definite location has yet been identified.

Under the old Caradon Local Plan, a park and ride at Carkeel was mooted, but Cornwall Council has not taken this idea forward as yet.

When current bridge users were asked if they would consider travelling by bus instead of car, 45% of those who responded gave an outright ‘no’, citing a lack of direct services and frequency as their reasons for the negative response.

Variable tolls have been put forward as another way of managing flow across the bridge, with lower fees for those travelling outside of peak times.

When Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Councils meet next week, they will decide whether to approve a £20,000 study on the pricing strategy for the bridge.

Improvements to the cycle network and car sharing are also among the measures which could reduce the numbers of vehicles making the crossing.

The Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee has recommended that a study be carried out into the long-term strategic options for the Bridge.