A Park and Ride service is to permanently end in Maidstone next year.

Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) has expressed sadness the service, run by Arriva, will run for the final time on Saturday, February 19.

MBC has supported the Park and Ride for many years and, since Arriva took over in May 2019, it has provided sites for parking in Willington Street and London Road.

Arriva said it was 'with regret' it was taking the decision, but said tumbling passenger numbers, both for commuting and days out, meant the service was no longer financially viable.

It said it tried to explore several options with Maidstone council, but a solution could not be found.

Its use had already been in decline and two other Park and Ride routes had already been scrapped – the 506 from Sittingbourne Road ended in 2016, while another from Coombe Quarry stopped running in 2007.

Michael Jennings, Arriva's area head of commercial - Kent, Surrey and Essex - said: “I would like to thank all of our Park and Ride customers and our dedicated Park and Ride team who have been amazing throughout the difficult times associated with the pandemic.

"Myself and the rest of the team have done everything we can to keep us from having to make this difficult decision, but unfortunately it has not been possible on this occasion.”

Cllr Paul Cooper (Con), MBC's chairman of the strategic planning and infrastructure committee, said: “We are very disappointed that Arriva will no longer provide this service, however, we do understand how difficult it has been for Arriva with the reduction of passengers since the beginning of the pandemic.”

The Maidstone Park and Ride service has been heavily hit by the coronavirus pandemic which saw passenger numbers substantially reduced.

An MBC council meeting was held on Tuesday when the issue was discussed – but the public were excluded from that part of the meeting in matters of public interest.

Stuart Jeffery, a Green party campaigner, said: "It's frustrating to hear of the closure of Park and Ride which will increase traffic on Maidstone’s already gridlocked and badly polluted roads.

“The closure of the Park and Ride scheme will likely mean more traffic heading into the town centre and adding to the town's traffic woes – unless other measures are put into place.

"Currently, Maidstone Borough Council subsidises Arriva with £162,000 each year, money that should now be invested in real alternatives to car travel.

“This money should be used on other traffic reduction schemes including cycle lanes, promoting walking, and to extend some other struggling bus routes that are needed by local people.”

Cllr Cooper said: “We know that there has been a modest increase in the number of people using the service as lockdown restrictions initially lifted.

“However passengers have not returned to use the service and numbers have not met pre-pandemic levels which has made it very difficult for Arriva.

“We understand how hard it has been for any business trying to survive in these very unusual circumstances and one which none of us could have predicted.

“The council has facilitated the Park and Ride service as much as we possibly could prior to and throughout Covid, but understands why Arriva has made the decision to withdraw the service.”

It comes as Canterbury City Council leader Ben Fitter-Harding says loss-making park and ride services could soon become a thing of the past in Canterbury.