West Sussex: I think the proposed scheme is awful. As a climber I need flexibility to get where I want to go very early, and I may be very late back, perhaps well after dark if things go awry. I would like to see more car parking (grass grids would be good)

Abbots Langley, Herts: Having read through the strategy paper and various people's comments my view is simple - If I am to be inconvenienced in this way I, and the people I walk with, will not come to Snowdonia. We will go elsewhere, such as The Lake District and Scotland, where there will be no such restrictions. The reasons why have been well argued by many other contributors. As such the scheme will fail in its aims.

Flitwick, Beds: A park and ride scheme should be encouraged but not at the cost of fully restricting access to all parts of the park. I am a kayaker and my pastime would cease totally if the proposals were introduced... e.g. would need to park cars to arrange shuttle runs for river trips and manoeuvre kayaks and equipment. Parking areas should be local to walking areas

Bedworth: impossible for mountain walkers to have to depend on buses to get out of the hills after a possible wet and freezing day.

Kingswinford, West Midlands: A proper solution to any perceived traffic problem (if one exists) will not be reached until consultation with ALL the affected parties. Priority should be given to people who enjoy using the mountains all year round.

Helsby, Frodsham: I am Club Secretary of Chester Rambling Club with about 350 members. We walk most weekends in N. Wales, bringing in parties of up to 50, more often 30-40. In Summer this may be by coach or by car sharing. The proposals that I have read would mean the closing off of Snowdonia to our Club, as it seems quite impractical to get off a 55 seater coach and then queue up for 1?,2?,3 small buses, and then will they go to the required setting off point. My other worry is why has the publicity been so scarce, we only picked this up in the 'Snowdonia' cafe on Sunday. I am sure my committee will back any proposed action to avert this catastrophe.

Tarporley: I did not hear about this till Sat 2nd- this idea is completely mad UNLESS the objective is to put people off coming to Snowdonia. I suspect that it will get pushed through unless massive opposition is organised. The local businesses will be ruined. For myself I would go to the Lakes where there does not seem to be the same antipathy towards us. Who will these buses suit? I like to get out early- 6am in summer- and leave early. I also like to be able to choose to do a longer walk if the weather is good and come off the hill late. If you have arrived off the hill after 6 hours in the rain you do not want to wait for a bus. Nor do you want to have to carry a load of "in case" gear- in winter my axe/crampons live in the car boot, I then assess the situation when I am parked up. What is the problem? I have never had a problem parking even on peak times, nor do I think that the cars parked e.g. at Ogwen, look unsightly.

Rhydycroesau, Oswestry: As a lover of Snowdonia for over forty years I am appalled to hear of the city boys plans to turn this exquisite area into an outlet village/theme park. Do they not understand that it is perfectly alright for people to park in lay bys, use local shops and accommodation? This is the lifeline, this is an established way of life. Why do they want to change it?

Willenhall, West Midlands: I visit North Wales regularly to walk, climb and horse ride, I have also canoed (I don't know how I'm supposed to get a canoe on a bus!). I purchase diesel for my car, coal for the fire in the climbing hut I stay in, food from the local shops, equipment from shops, meals and beer from pubs, I use cafes, all of this in North Wales. A bus service would be useful some of the time which I would use, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY! How would I get to a mountain at 05.00hrs or return at midnight? I endeavour to make best use of the car when we have to use it, i.e. 4 people travel to North Wales in it and 4 or 5 go to the intended destination in it. If you make the Snowdonia National Park Green Key bus service only I WILL NOT COME TO NORTH WALES AND PROBABLY MOST OF MY FRIENDS AS WE WILL GO SOMEWHERE MORE ACCESSIBLE .... THIS WILL COST NORTH WALES BUSINESSES DEARLY! I THINK YOUR GREEN KEY SYSTEM IS FUNDAMENTALLY FLAWED AND DOES NOT APPRECIATE WHERE THE EXISTING NORTH WALES ECONOMIES COMES FROM!!

Yoxall, Burton on Trent: I agree with all the points raised on this web site, against the park and ride scheme. I believe that the scheme is entirely unworkable, and would cause more damage to an economy already struggling because of the recent foot and mouth crisis, and the strength of the pound which attracts so many people away from North Wales. I have been a visitor to Nant Gwynant and Beddgelert since I was a child, and we visit now on a monthly basis, luckily having access to a cottage in Beddgelert. In my opinion, this scheme would cause more problems than it could ever solve.

Lighthorne:  I write as an owner of a property on the exact border of the park and as a regular climber and walker in North Wales for nearly 20 years. These proposals seek to limit freedom of access to the park and are both ill considered from the aspect of commerce , based on potential falling visitor numbers to do difficulties of access for families and also unnecessary as except on summer bank holidays there are no significant traffic problems whatsoever. Bus services are expensive , inefficient and unreliable and will largely deter users of the park from coming particularly if, as people do now ,they walk or climb then visit cafes and then visit shops all adding to the local economy. It is totally unrealistic to expect climbers or walkers and especially families to constantly wait at bus stops in inclement weather, they will simply take their interest and their money elsewhere. Finally , if the scheme were to go ahead access would not be prevented and ad hoc private car parks would immediately surface in any event whether legal or otherwise. Abandon this ill conceived idea as soon as possible and apply any savings to either a reduction in council tax or subsidising car park charges to encourage greater visitor numbers to re-float the damaged economy after the unnecessary foot and mouth restrictions of last year.

Edinburgh: I fully support the campaign to stop the Park and Ride scheme in the Snowdonia National Park as I believe it will not in any way serve the interests of the vast majority of people who use the national park, be they walkers, climbers or more sedentary tourists. For myself, I certainly would find that the scheme would not allow me to pursue the activities for which I visit Snowdonia (climbing and walking) as I do not tend to travel at times convenient to bus timetables, and am frequently off the hill quite late. I would have to think twice before I visited the area if such a scheme was implemented. I do think that public transport could be improved and would use it when I could, but do not agree with the imposition of a 'compulsory' bus scheme. As a passing thought, I would welcome the addition of places to lock bikes in laybys as I frequently used to cycle to the Pass when I lived in Bangor and found it difficult to find safe places to lock my bike to.

Leeds: I feel that the proposals put forward are short sighted, inadequate to address the aims that have been outlined and have been insufficiently thought out with regard to the wider consequences.

Llanfairfechan: Keep up the good work. Like everyone I have spoken to I am 100% in agreement with you. 

Tolworth, Surrey: I am happy to support you on this issue, and will drop an email to the relevant minister on this. I came to climbing from whitewater kayaking, where the access situation is dire! I do not wish to see this problem intensifying in climbing too.

Llanfairfechan: The proposed Snowdonia Park & Ride scheme is totally impractical. I agree with the Group's observations about the effects on gateway towns and villages, and the about the almost certain lack of take-up of the scheme by the various groups of visitors to the area. The effects on all sectors of the local economy are potentially devastating, when local traders need all the help they can get, especially in the aftermath of the foot & mouth outbreak. Snowdonia is too big an area to impose such restrictions on people who wish to visit and enjoy the Park in their own time and at their own place. Visitors are people, not sheep.

Egham, Surrey: My extensive experience of Snowdonia is the traffic problems seem to lie about the perimeter of the park, not within. Park and ride failed in the Peaks (Stanage Bus) May be the drafters of this daft proposal should speak to the originators of that idea. If you are going to ban vehicles then I say ban them completely, tear up the roads and go for a New Zealand style access (4X4), buy out the farms that can't survive this, and really turn this area back to wilderness. This is probably just as daft as the tabled idea but at least it is all equal for all.

Wrexham: We agree entirely with the views of the manager of the climbing shop who put the case against the Green Key scheme so clearly. We and our friends frequently go hill walking in Snowdonia and have experience of how inefficient public transport is, and always will be for serving the hills. If people are inconvenienced they will not come, its as simple as that. These proposals are typical of the current craze for myopic half thought out bureaucratic schemes which afflict our modern society. I would suggest more sensitively-constructed car parks and laybyes with a voluntary contribution box (50p).

Up Holland, Lancs: Don't let this stupid idea happen, good luck.

UCNW, Aberystwyth: Really don't like the idea of having to be off the mountains in time for the last bus! Can't help but think that people would be left stranded over-night. It would also make a lot of long routes (cycling, mountain biking and mountaineering/walking) almost impossible to do in a day using a lightweight approach - your start and finish would be controlled by the bus time table, and you could be forced to plod around carrying full bivy gear etc

Wrexham: This is a silly idea, and will result in considerable inconvenience to to those of us who visit Snowdonia regularly -- it may result in us going elsewhere (perhaps to The Peak, or to The Lakes) --- but perhaps that is the real agenda! -- to reduce visitors to Snowdonia, rather than to encourage sensible usage of this wonderful place. All reasonable people should oppose the Park and Ride nonsense, and to continue to support the local community/shops by frequent usage

Tregarth, Bangor: I have just visited your site and read of your work in opposition to the Green Key Initiative. Well done. The response to the "Consultative" Draft Strategy was an excellent piece of work. I would be particularly interested in finding out about further work that takes the campaign to the sponsors of this initiative, that puts the pressure on them to justify the scheme (which they will be unable to do), that exposes the apparent myth of consultation and that builds upon your next steps by encouraging a genuine consultation based upon the needs of people who live, work or play in Snowdonia.

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