Potential Student Parking Ban!

Cardiff Council is currently considering removing all parking permits for students in Cardiff.

This decision could have a huge impact on your day-to-day life, whether you drive to campus, need flexibility for work, rely on carpooling, or care about accessibility for the student community. Every student already faces challenges with the current parking or public transportation arrangements in the city, this measure will make things exponentially more difficult.

As residents of Cardiff, you have every right to be part of this conversation. Let’s ensure the voices of students are heard loud and clear.

 

The Council’s is proposing this measure because they are looking at options for managing cars in the city. The aim is to give full-time residents more opportunities to park and promote “active and sustainable travel” for students.

We’re disappointed to see students treated differently in this way. Excluding us from essential services like parking sends a message that our economic and social contributions to the city are underappreciated. It’s unfair to create policies that undermine our access and participation as equal members of the community.

 

While we understand and support Cardiff’s efforts to address environmental challenges, these proposals disproportionately target students without considering our diverse needs:

 

- Travel for placements or jobs: Many students, especially those in healthcare and medical fields, rely on cars to reach placements in remote areas where public transport isn’t an option.

 

- Access for disabled students: Some students with additional needs require cars to get to classes or seminars due to inaccessible public transport options.

 

- Caring responsibilities: Students with children or other dependents often need flexibility to balance family duties and their studies, making driving essential.

 

- Activities and extracurriculars: Many students drive to attend sports fixtures, society events, or other commitments that require early starts or late finishes, when public transport isn’t reliable.

 

- Everyday necessities: From carpooling for grocery runs to attending GP appointments or moving furniture, cars are essential for basic day-to-day activities.

 

By ignoring these realities, the proposals risk treating students as second-class citizens.

 

These changes could make Cardiff a less accessible and less attractive city for students, potentially impacting satisfaction, student life, and even Cardiff’s reputation as an inclusive and welcoming place to study.

 

- Reply directly to the consultation here.

 

- Sign the petition.

 

- Write to your local MP / MS.

 

This is your chance to make your voice heard. Whether or not you drive, this decision affects you and the entire student community. Together, we can push for a solution that balances environmental goals without neglecting the needs of Cardiff’s diverse student population.

 

Dan Flaherty Jr & Rewathi Viswanatham

Student President and SU Vice-President Education