MARISSA BRITS
Parking on and around Hatfield campus is becoming more scarce for both students and staff.
The university has attempted to combat the parking problem with the construction of the Engineering 3 parkade and the free park-and-ride service that runs from Sport campus to Hatfield campus. Although both initiatives were successfully implemented, many students feel that the parking provided in the Engineering 3 parkade is too expensive and that the park-and-ride system is impractical. Many students still park on Lynnwood Road.
The City of Tshwane plans to develop a bus transit system which will run from the Pretoria CBD through to Lynnwood Road. This will restrict parking on the shoulder lanes of Lynnwood Road. According to the City of Tshwane’s official website, the project is set to be implemented in April 2014.
Third-year geology students Christian Northcote and André van der Westhuizen said that the engineering parkade is too expensive and busy. They also stated that using the park-and-ride system is inconvenient because it prolongs your journey and is impractical if you are in a hurry.
Micheal Kidgell, a second-year engineering student, said that, “There is too little parking on Hatfield campus. If you don’t come to campus at 7:30 you won’t find a decent parking [spot]. I also feel that it is unfair that people are getting tickets when they park on University Road. I’ve gotten two tickets already.”
Third-year BCom student Daniel Moxham stated that, “The parking provided by the university in Engineering 3 is not enough. There have been days that I have had to wait in a line of cars just to get in. The park-and-ride system is impractical to me because I have classes on both Sport campus and Hatfield campus and I either miss the bus or I am late for class.”
According to the university, the parkade has provided 1 000 parking bays, 60% of which are available to students. Two-hourly rates apply to student parking on weekdays.
Although the university has taken steps to provide students with more parking, many students feel that the steps have been inefficient and still struggle to find parking on a daily basis.
Photo: Kobus Barnard
