By Maya Zamman
Two students who drive in by car to attend De Montfort University (DMU) have highlighted problems caused by trying to find parking spaces.
Mohammed Naheed Ahmed, 18, who lives in Corby and commutes to DMU as he studies mechanical engineering, has faced difficulties when having to find parking.
He said parking has been an issue for him since he started university, as he has a busy schedule being in on campus four times a week and with 9am starts.
The majority of his lectures finish at 4pm but he said the breaks inbetween are long.
“Wednesdays and Thursdays I have a break from 11am till 3pm,” he said. “It feels like a waste when there could be lessons during that time, and I could be commuting home.”
Adding to the problems of finding parking space for his car, are the costs of parking, as well as having to spend £80 a week on petrol.
He said it takes him at least 25 to 30 minutes to find a parking space, which affects his attendance for lectures because you cannot record your attendance if you arrive after the 15-minute mark, so he is listed as being late.
Another student, Jude Watson, 21, studying business and economics in his final year, from Leicester said, when trying to find parking “around 1 to 3pm it is nearly impossible to find a space, I will be searching for 20 to 30 minutes.”
Jude’s schedule means he is only in university three times a week and his timetabled sessions are only an hour long, so the parking issue doesn’t affect him as much as other students.
The DMU estates team, which manage parking on campus, said it has had complaints from students but the number it receives is low,
In statements, it said: “DMU offers students a comprehensive number of parking options on campus…including disabled and assessed needs spaces, student permits and residential permits, depending on individual circumstances.”
It said complaints it has received often focus on having to pay for parking in the evenings.
This impacts nursing students more than other students, especially during their placement, so to resolve the issue, they offer them a specific low-cost placement permit.
