A Park & Ride scheme, which was trialled over the bank holiday weekend, failed to alleviate the traffic on Southend seafront with car parks still filling up - with one prominent seafront trader describing the scene as “Aparkalypse Now”

With Southend being blessed with one of the hottest weekends of the year over the past three days, sun seekers ascended on the seafront in their masses causing the esplanade to be clogged up with cars.

Although efforts were made to ease congestion on the seafront by Southend Council by introducing the Park & Ride scheme over the bank holiday weekend, car parking was still a major issues.

Philip Miller MBE, Chairman of the Stockvale Group which owns Southend Sea Life Adventure and Adventure Island, said: “If you made a movie about thousands of visitors’ experiences of Southend during the Bank Holiday, you’d call it ‘Aparkalypse Now’.

“Joking aside, I know from many years of experience that my businesses, and those of others on the seafront and in the town centre, lose significant amounts of custom when families became frustrated, either from being stuck in traffic jams on the A127 or A13, and when they arrive they simply can’t find a parking space.

“Although it appears that Southend Borough Council now recognises that cars are like oxygen for businesses such as ours, we noticed no improvement in the traffic bottlenecks or ease of finding parking spaces. However, the Council’s attempt to address this long-standing issue is to be welcomed but it remains to be seen if it will be truly effective.”

Paul Thompson, chairman of Southend Seafront Traders’ Association, added: “I don’t know how many people used the Park & Ride, but if it was well used it had very little impact.

“There was major congestion and usage of car parks on the seafront. Queues everywhere.”

“There is a massive shortage of car parking spaces on the seafront. It’s a complete shambles.”

Those using the scheme had to park at the Civic Centre and then catch the number 11 bus down to the seafront.

It cost £7 - £3 to park and £4 to ride - and payment had to be made using a mobile phone application.

Although still awaiting the figures, the council confirmed they will be continuing the scheme

A council spokesman said: “We will continue to offer the facility over the coming weekends and monitor usage.

“Offering this service gives us an opportunity to test the appetite for the facility as well trialling the technology that makes it possible, namely the Mobon parking app, which is being rolled out in car parks across the Borough.”