Just weeks after a mothballed park and ride service was revived, a debate is raging about whether the scheme is good or bad for the environment.

While the aim was to tackle carbon emissions by cutting the number of cars driving into Canterbury, there are claims the site in Sturry Road along the A28 is in fact creating unnecessary congestion and air pollution because not enough people are using it.

When KentOnline visited the site at rush hour on Thursday morning we counted 26 passengers getting on seven buses - an average of fewer than four people per service.

With the double-decker diesel buses having a capacity of about 100, the Green Party argues the vehicles are doing more harm than good in terms of pollution.

But Canterbury City Council, run by a Labour-Lib Dem coalition, insists it is “too early to tell” whether the scheme has been successful.

Early figures suggest a 16% increase in those paying for parking at the Sturry Road site in the first six weeks of operation compared to the last six before its closure almost two years ago.

Meanwhile, the passengers we spoke to last week were delighted the service had reopened.

However, Green Party city councillor Andrew Harvey is calling for the site to be shut down once again.

“I am sure in this day and age we could have an on-demand service or small hopper electric vehicles,” the West Bay representative said.

“We have diesel buses running in and out of here which is not the answer.

“It has to be remodelled completely - but in its present usage, it should be scrapped because it would be more environmentally friendly and cheaper to drive people into town in a gas-guzzling 4x4.”

The site was mothballed by the city council in July 2022, with the then-Conservative administration citing the dwindling numbers using it.

The authority is now run by Labour and the Lib Dems who brought it back at a cost of £232,500, while hiking parking charges elsewhere in the district.

The move comes as part of the coalition’s wider plans to adopt a “bus-first” strategy.

Cllr Harvey says he has witnessed empty buses leaving the Sturry Road site.

KentOnline visited on Wednesday between 2.40pm and 3.50pm where six of the eight buses took zero passengers into the city, with 37 people getting off - an average of fewer than five people.

On Thursday, between 7.55am and 8.55am, the highest number of people we saw on one service heading into the city was seven, with other buses with one, two and three people on.

There were also two double-deckers with five and six people onboard.

Figures obtained by KentOnline show 3,417 payments were made in the first six weeks after the site reopened, compared with 2,955 in the last six weeks before it closed in 2022.

Despite some criticism, people we spoke to on Wednesday afternoon were glad to see the scheme return to the city.

Alistair and Mary Noble welcomed the return of the service after Stagecoach’s controversial decision to slash the number of buses covering Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay.

Mrs Noble, 75, said: “They have cut our buses. We live in Beltinge outside Herne Bay and we only have one bus an hour.

“They are charging more for parking [in the city] and have cut our bus, so this is our only option.”

Mr Noble, 77, added: “This is our normal way into Canterbury.

“They have just reduced the bus service so this is the easiest way to get in and not spend as much on parking.”

Retiree Leilah Leask was pleased to see Sturry reopen as she had to travel to Wincheap instead when it closed.

“I live in Margate and it means I can get into Canterbury easily,” the 68-year-old said.

“I do not have to deal with the traffic myself and we can use the bus lane which speeds things up.

“The parking costs in Canterbury are quite prohibitive so it is better for me.”

Nurse Nicola Morgan says it is quicker to drive from Thanet and use the park and ride than to drive through the city centre traffic.

“I used it in 2008 about five times a week when I was a university student,” the 35-year-old said.

“If you live in Thanet, getting back home and into the city centre is quicker.

“The buses have not been too busy.”

Cabinet member for transport, Cllr Alex Ricketts, branded KentOnline’s findings a “snapshot” of those using the service.

“They are still car journeys that would have been going into the centre of Canterbury if it was not for the park and ride,” he added.

The Liberal Democrat says any new changes to parking services will be made in autumn - when the scheme is assessed by the scrutiny committee - to be implemented in April next year.

“I think it would be ludicrous to open for a month, say it is not working and close it again,” he said.

“The time at which it is fair to see how it is performing is when we have had six months of operation to see how it is doing and make some projections for how it will do in future.

“In September, once we have the figures, we can plan for how we move forward from there.”

Cllr Ricketts says he would like all the buses to be electric but it “comes at a certain cost”.

He argues they were considered and rejected by the previous Conservative-led administration when the contract with Stagecoach was renewed.

Instead, the diesel buses comply with Euro 6, which is the strictest emissions standard in the UK - meaning these vehicles emit the least amount of nitrogen oxide.

Cllr Ricketts said: “It has only been in operation for more than a month, having been closed for a long time.

“We want to see the numbers increase and we will be constantly reviewing it.

“Aside from the convenience for residents in Herne Bay and Thanet, it is to reduce the number of car journeys going into the city centre.

“It is not just about emissions, it is also about the congestion that causes, so more buses are the best solution.

“I am surprised the Green Party is against putting more buses on the road.”

He says the return of Sturry Park and Ride was a “big thing on the doorsteps” when he was campaigning in the 2023 local elections.

“We felt we had a clear mandate from people - along with returning the market to Canterbury and restoring the three-hour blue badge parking - to reopen Sturry Park and Ride,” he said.

“Those were three big things we wanted to do straight away.”

Buses run from Monday to Saturday from 7.10am until 7.30pm, with one every 10 minutes between 9am and 6pm.

The service also runs on Sundays from 10.05am until 5.15pm.

Asked about cutting the number of buses, Cllr Ricketts said: “You need regular buses for a park and ride to be effective as that is the convenience factor.

“If you are going to leave your car there, you want to have as little extra journey time as possible from switching from car to bus.”