IT always did appear a little too futuristic for its own good and so the news that an underground park-and-ride terminal in Worcester has been shelved comes as no surprise to this newspaper.

Past experience has taught us that the draughtsman's daydream invariably gives way to the slightly better illuminated dawn of reality.

Project Express was to have been a major overhaul of Worcester's public transport system. Its showcase would have been the terminal, built into a natural bank at Whittington. However, this idea now appears to have been dropped, going the same way as the fleet of futuristic tram buses and free travel for under-19s.

Nevertheless, Worcestershire County Council is still committed to a park-and-ride site at Whittington, and believes in the principle.

Worcester's traffic congestion grows worse every year and it is becoming increasingly obvious that inactivity is not an option. Unfortunately, the Perdiswell park-and-ride is a poor advert for the philosophy of leaving the motor car at home - it is common knowledge throughout Worcester that the ferry buses are regularly sighted carrying only a handful of passengers.

Ultimately, the economics of carrot and stick might have to be introduced. It may be that the only way to prise people out of their beloved metal boxes will be to make park-and-ride so attractive that it becomes simply irresistible - meanwhile, more steps will have to be taken to further curtail the dubious attractions of driving round and round Worcester looking for a parking space.

Once again, it's a case of going back the drawing board in the hope of solving a truly pressing problem.