RAIL-users are becoming increasingly frustrated at the limited parking available at Cam and Dursley station after only limited action has been taken since the problem was raised six-years-ago.

The station has become a success story following its opening in 1994, with the number of rail passengers a year tripling from around 50,000 in 2002 to 167,000 in 2012.

But those driving to the station are now finding there is often nowhere to park, with motorists forced to leave their car on the adjacent and narrow Box Road in front of nearby homes or park on the end of parking lanes.

The problem has been compounded by the fact that bus times are regularly criticised for not being co-ordinated with train departures at the station, meaning people instead use their cars, adding pressure on the 94-space car park.

In February last year the Gazette reported the fact that nothing had changed since complaints were first raised in 2008 and while a meeting was held between First Great Western and Gloucestershire County Council (GCC), no solution was reached.

Soon after the report, GCC cleared a part of the car park to create eight more spaces, stating that it would look at bigger schemes in the future, funding permitted.

Heather Lewis, 29, decided to get a lift with a friend to Sharpness rather than wait for a bus from the station this week, telling the Gazette the problem did need to be looked at.

“I would say they do need better bus services rather than a bigger car park,” she said.

“But just looking at the car park now there’s so many cars parked here because people will not use the buses.”

Uley resident Damae Green, 43, who is a teaching assistant St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Nympsfield said: “Just driving in I saw all those cars parked along the road, it would be a good idea to make the car park bigger.

“There’s not that many buses that can take us here. This station is ideal because it’s free parking, unlike at Stonehouse.”

Dursley’s representative on GCC, Cllr Steve Lydon, is calling on the cabinet member for transport, Cllr Will Windsor-Clive, to take action after receiving numerous complaints from groups in the area.

In his response to the Gazette’s request for a comment, Cllr Windsor-Clive said he accepted that there were increasing issues with parking.

“That’s why the council added an extra eight spaces last year and has identified the need to do more,” he said.

“Improving the co-ordination of bus times with train services is also something we are looking at."