TRANSPORT chiefs in Winchester could soon extend the city's park-and-ride service to take in some of the town's biggest employers in a bid to cut congestion.

Winchester City Council's Cabinet will vote next week on whether to agree to spend £30,000 on expanding the scheme along Romsey Road for a six to nine-month trial.

The expansion would mean workers at sites including the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, Hampshire police headquarters, University College and Winchester Prison could avoid long delays along the road during rush hour.

However, the authority must first persuade counterparts at Hampshire County Council to hand over £25,000 to meet the overall cost of the project.

In a report to be presented to the council's ruling Cabinet next week, Robin Cooper, the director of development services, says the proposed service would operate at 20-minute intervals during peak hours and would cost about £90,000 a year.

However, if fewer than 50 users per day take up the service it would be difficult to justify a permanent service.

But Mr Cooper also warns another potential limitation is that use of park-and-ride car parks has been increasing regularly since the St Catherine's extension opened in January 2004.

Mr Cooper said: "Increases in season ticket charges for parking in the city centre have encouraged drivers to use park-and-ride as an alternative, and this trend is expected to continue.

"However, the potential number of Romsey Road users cannot be verified without an experimental bus service being introduced."

Sheila Campbell, leader of Winchester City Council, added that the case for a second park-and-ride car park had already been made.

"Bar End is not the ideal location as the Romsey Road users' car park because it is at the wrong end of town.

"Winchester desperately needs a new park-and-ride site in the Bushfield area and perhaps a third to the north of the city."

She added: "As the facilities take Hampshire County Council at least three years to provide, they need to make some decisions so we can plan how to remove more cars from the centre of Winchester as soon as possible."