A decision has been taken to suspend Sandon and Colchester Park and Ride services as of Saturday, February 6 due to Covid-19 – leaving a funding hole in the county council's budget.

The suspension of the service is in response to strict government guidance urging people to stay at home and only travel when absolutely necessary, to prevent the spread of coronavirus, as well as dramatically reduced numbers of people using the service.

The decision had already been taken for the Chelmer Valley Park and Ride to be temporarily closed.

The current services at Sandon and Colchester are running at two per cent of normal volumes and there is currently very little demand for these services.

The service will remain closed until further notice.

Essex County Council (ECC) says by closing the sites it will be able to reallocate drivers to other key routes especially around hospitals.

ECC says that the net impact of closing the facilities for the maximum period of five months is an additional £65,000 deficit and while this is financially more costly, the decision to close is being taken because resources can be re-deployed within the commercial network to help address staff absences created through sickness.

Deputy Leader of ECC and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Councillor Kevin Bentley, said: "While we seek to retain public transport services for individuals who are making essential journeys, those using the Park and Ride have access to a car, so will have an alternative mode of transport available should they need it.

"Our Park and Ride services are valued, high quality and sustainable services, however during this crisis we need to use our resources wisely which means deploying resources to support commercial bus services where passengers on these services may have no other options available. The county council has been redeploying buses and drivers to commercial routes that serve hospitals and other important routes.

"The closure will be for as short a time as possible as we know how valued it is. We look forward to welcoming back our regular travellers and hopefully new ones when it re-opens."