RGU students’ warning over parking crisis

RGU students warn that a parking “nightmare” at the Garthdee campus could get worse under plans that may see controlled zones scrapped.

Since the radical expansion of the campus more than 20 years ago, there have been strict rules on where students are allowed to park.

In a bid to protect residents’ spaces outside their homes, the university has paid the council to enforce a controlled parking zone on surrounding streets.

This means students parking where they shouldn’t be are hit with hefty fines.

All this could be undone later this year, with cashstrapped RGU saying it can no longer afford to fund council traffic wardens patrolling the area.

The local authority has been left considering whether to axe the zone completely, inviting a parking free-for-all, or charge locals for permits to keep it going.

Neither option would be popular with residents.

And now students claim the parking options are so poor that dropping the system could cause the streets nearest the campus to become clogged up.

Students opting to travel to the campus by car can either use the pay-to-park areas on certain parts of nearby streets, or get a permit to use the university car park.

But still, every day, scores of students are said to be left scrambling for spaces.

This results in some tactically navigating supermarket car parks – making sure not to overstay the limit at Garthdee while dashing back and forth between lessons.

Some students say things could be made easier for locals if more parking spaces were available on campus.

This, they argue, forces them to clog up the streets across from campus, and in the Garthdee Road Retail Park.

One Peterhead student added: “The staff car park is hogging up potential spaces, when it’s always half empty.”

Students have also claimed that they were not sufficiently warned of the permit situation on campus, leaving them to scramble to try to find other options.

However, RGU refuted this, saying multiple reminders were sent out to students about needing permission to use the car park.

An RGU spokesperson said that the university “promotes a range of travel options to reduce the demand for parking on the Garthdee campus and in the surrounding community”.

The university highlighted their dedicated First Bus service, and their campus bike hire scheme, and cycling officer.

Yet these alternatives are not feasible, according to some students.

The students agree that more would need to be done to prevent problems for residents if the parking zone at Garthdee is axed.

LACK OF SPACE: A restricted parking sign across from the main RGU campus