Motorists in Preston wanting to pick people up from the train station are being asked to use a nearby multi-storey car park.

The usual charge for the train station multi-storey car park has been waived for the first 30 minutes.

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It follows the gridlock which happened in the city centre during last weekend, as a combination of rail replacement buses using Butler Street, Christmas shoppers, the Fishergate roadworks and drivers trying to pick-up and drop-off created the perfect storm.

Delays of up to 90 minutes were experienced by many drivers as they left the shops and headed for home.

Paul Dunne, Lancashire County Council highways manager for Preston, said: “We’re expecting Preston city centre to be extremely busy at weekends in the run up to Christmas with roads around the train station under particular pressure.

“There was severe congestion last weekend in this area, with one of the key factors ! being people visiting the train station stopping on Butler Street to pick up and drop off.

“Butler Street will already be busy with traffic parking for the Fishergate Centre, and rail-replacement buses pulling in and out of the train station.

“You’ll be able to use the multi-storey car park at the train station for short visits over the coming weekends and I’d ask people to help by not stopping on Butler Street.

“We’re working with the Fishergate Centre, train operators and the police to help businesses in the city centre and make life easier for shoppers by keeping traffic on the move.”

Fishergate shopping centre manager Keith Mitchell took to the Lancashire Evening Post to call for something to be done after the mayhem of last Saturday.

Did you get caught up in last week’s traffic? Are you planning a trip into the city centre this weekend? Let us know in the comments below

Image credit to George D Thompson