TRAFFIC congestion may ease south of York as the city's fourth park and ride service is launched on Monday from the designer outlet at Fulford.

The shopping centre has struck a deal with City of York Council for its extensive car parks to be used by motorists to catch a bus into the city centre.

The service is aimed at reducing traffic entering the city centre from the south along the A19 Fulford Road, one of the busiest ancillary roads in the city.

There will be buses every ten minutes from 7am to 8pm, running initially from Monday to Friday, with plans to introduce a Saturday service next year.

About 400 of the BAA McArthurGlen Designer Outlet's 2,700 car parking spaces have been allocated to the scheme

The council is aiming for six park and ride services by 2005, with consultation already under way for a fifth site at Monks Cross.

Gwilym Thomas, the council's park and ride monitoring officer, said: "The idea is to try and reduce traffic on the A19.

"Park and ride schemes are an effective way of relieving congestion and this fourth scheme should be no different.

"The scheme is on a kind of trial at the moment, just operating during the week, but the aim is to have a full service, as with the other sites, in the long term."

Norma Middlemiss, centre manager at the designer outlet, said: "We have been open for two years and we know that visitors use both us and the city centre.

"By strengthening transport links we are creating opportunities for everyone.

"It is important that all sectors of York's community work together to maintain York's standing."

There are currently three other schemes at Grimston Bar, Rawcliffe and Askham Bar.

The national environmental awareness group Going For Green has urged local people to use the city's full park and ride network over Christmas "to help York survive". Regional director Deborah Bell said: "Safe and efficient Park and Ride facilities, like those in York, give people the opportunity to travel quickly and in comfort, while not damaging the environment."