Latest news with #carparking
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- RNZ News
Frustrated University of Canterbury students missing class over lack of campus car parks
A University of Canterbury car park. Photo: RNZ / Joe Shaw Frustrated University of Canterbury students are missing out on lectures or late for class because of the daily struggle to find a car park on campus or surrounding Ilam streets. Christchurch had become a city of choice for students, with enrolments booming to around 25,000 - an all-time high for a third year running and a 12 percent increase on 2024 . One student told RNZ she was so desperate to make it to an exam after failing to find a park that she was forced to use a space reserved for staff, leave a note on the dashboard and hope for the best. Engineering student Daniel Middleton said he had been late for important classes because he could not find a park. "I've had to park quite far away and then try to run into university just to make it in on time, it's always annoying," he said. "Those [classes] are mandatory for your grade, so quite important to get to." Student Rhian Beauchamp-Hughes said people were "stuffed" if they did not find a park by 9am, a search made worse by two-hour limits on surrounding streets. "You have to really fight for it and a lot of the car parking around here has been changed to purely staff parking," she said. "It's a bit rough seeing the parking wardens walking up and down each day just laying the cars with tickets." Daniel Middleton. Photo: RNZ / Joe Shaw University of Canterbury Students' Association president Luc MacKay said the lack of parking was a constant problem made worse by growing enrolments. "Parking has been raised as a barrier to attending class in person. It is a concern of ours and we've certainly been relaying that to the university," he said. An all-year parking permit for University of Canterbury students had cost $475 since 2019, giving them the right to park on campus, although there was no guarantee of a space. Students could also opt for monthly, quarterly or half-yearly permits. On average, the university issued 1200 monthly permits and 200 annual, half-yearly and quarterly permits to students. One student told RNZ he had chosen not to renew his parking permit this year because they were too expensive and he had trouble finding parks last year. A university spokesperson said 3323 car parks were available for students, staff and visitors, including 82 mobility parks, although 100 car parks were temporarily unavailable because of construction projects. According to a 2024 university survey, 35 percent of students and staff travelled to campus by car, 21 percent cycled, 20 percent walked and 15 percent took the bus. The spokesperson said the university encouraged people to take public transport, bike or walk. University of Canterbury Students' Association president Luc MacKay. Photo: RNZ / Joe Shaw "To support active and sustainable transport, the university provides a range of facilities including secure bike parking and showers across campus," they said. "The university is also well connected by public transport, with buses running frequently from multiple stops around campus. Students can apply for a tertiary student [bus card], which offers discounted fares to make commuting more affordable." In 2019 Christchurch City Council stopped issuing new resident-only parking permits that meant locals could park on their street any time, as part of its suburban parking policy. Riccarton ward councillor Tyla Harrison-Hunt said some students in five-bedroom flats had up to five cars, creating problems for longer-term residents trying to park on the street. He said parking exemptions could help but ultimately housing and public transport around the university needed to improve. A University of Canterbury car park. Photo: RNZ / Joe Shaw "You've got students nowhere near the university because there is no housing capacity for them around the vicinity, which means they are going to have to bike, drive or bus. You have students from out of town, who don't know how to use the bus infrastructure, they'll learn, but the easiest thing is to drive a car," he said. "Housing capacity is really important for the university area, to alleviate the pain and create something more sustainable. If you add more car parks, there are just going to be more cars." City council transport operations manager Stephen Wright said the area around the university was typically patrolled by parking wardens an average of three times per week. "The purpose is to ensure compliance with regulations that are in place to manage demand, support safety, and improve turnover of parking spaces," he said. Wright said the council received parking exemption requests from residents across Christchurch but had chosen not to implement them when a policy review found they would be too complex. While the council had no immediate plans to amend the suburban parking policy, it was aware that demand for parking in areas like the university had increased, he said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Sun
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Man makes £20k a month from side hustle that 11m Brits could also do – it's effortless and can be done all year round
A MAN has revealed he makes a whopping £20,000 a month from a little known side hustle, that requires hardly any effort. Barrie Taube, owns 150 garages and 300 car parking spaces across the country, and rents them out to people in need of storage space. 2 2 Renting Out Garages The property investor and surveyor charges between £50 to £150 a month for garages, and between £30 and £60 for car parking spaces. 'We rent to people who live in blocks of flats; we will approach them and see if they want to rent them out", Barrie, who owns that garages through his business Southern Land Securities, told The i Paper. "For the car parking spaces, they might have an extra car or just want an extra space." Barrie revealed that he also rents out his parking spaces to people who need them for a short period of time, such as if they are attending a football match or a concert. In the UK, an estimated 11 million people own a garage, with half of these not used to store cars. That means that millions of Brits could also be cashing in on this side hustle. Hardly Any Maintenance The investor also owns many properties which he rents out to tenants, but revealed that renting out garages comes with many advantages, such as the lack of upkeep. 'There's not much to maintain, just the roof, walls and the garage door", he said. 'If the roof is leaking, you make the decision whether to mend it but, in general, when someone signs the lease, they agree to maintain it and to give it back in the condition they rented it in.' He added that it also costs a lot less to purchase garages, which cost around £10,000 to £30,000 in most locations. I earn cash by selling 'actual rubbish' on eBay - I flogged a freebie I found on the floor by a bin for £10, it's crazy In Mayfair, garages can sell for up to £300,000, however, Barrie explained that people in these areas are happy to pay much more to keep their posh cars safe. 'If you had a garage in Mayfair, you could get £500 a month or more in rent", he said. "If someone has a car worth a few hundred thousand pounds, they will pay this to know it's safe.' How to make cash from renting out your garage If you have spare garage space, you can make cash by renting it out for storage, using websites such as Stashbee and Storemates. You can also advertise your garage on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree. When listing your garage, make sure to include key details, such as photographs, the size of the space, notable features, and whether the area has its own independent access. It is also a good idea to arrange viewings, to make sure the space is right for potential renters. Make sure to take any costs into account, as Stashbee charges a 5% fee on bookings, while Storemates deducts 16.5% plus 20p from each payment. Gumtree generally offers free advertisements, but specific surcharges apply for garage storage or car parking listings (£8.79) and for linking to an external website (£6.59). According to Stuart Collar-Brown, from online auctioneer Bidx1 UK garages are much more profitable than buy-to-let properties, pulling in yields averaging 10 percent, compared with a 4.75 percent average for rental properties. Landlords Ditching Properties To Rent Out Garages 'Garages offer a great alternative to storage costs for tradesmen, so they'll perform well in densely populated residential areas, especially where houses are rows of Victorian houses [and] where parking on the street is tricky due to a lack of driveways, so demand will outstrip supply.' He added that, in light of the Renters Reform Bill, which is set to come in over the coming months, many landlords are switching their business to garages. 'We're definitely seeing a shift of residential landlords into non-residential assets, so this would include commercial, industrial, garages and other similar asset classes,' he said. 'The sheer amount of red tape that landlords have to wade through now is becoming too much hassle, so they are looking for an easier way to earn yields on their investment." Arguably, the council are no longer building garages either, so the fact that they are not building more suggests, long term, there will be some capital appreciation too.' However, Barrie revealed that since many people have now cottoned on to the fact that garages are good investments, they are reluctant to sell. He added that it can be harder to get loans on garages than properties as banks often ask for larger deposits.
BBC News
01-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Black Country hospital car parking charges to increase
Car parking charges are to increase for visitors and patients at two Black Country NHS rise came into force on Tuesday at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton and Cannock Chase Hospital. From Monday 21 July, it will come into effect at Walsall Manor additional money raised will be put back into the trusts running the sites - Royal Wolverhampton and Walsall applied increases range from 20p to £1 depending on the length of the stay, although existing concessionary arrangements will continue, according to bosses. A stay of one, two, three and four hours will now cost £3.50, £4.50, £5 and £6 respectively - a hike, in each instance, of 20p. Stays of between four and five hours will cost £6.30, and stays of between five and seven hours will cost £7 - a respective increase of 50p and £1 compared to previous rates for those stays.A new tariff of £10 has been introduced for stays of between eight and 24 continue to be waived for anyone using the car parks for 15 minutes or fewer. Disabled parking will remain free of charge and concessionary passes are still being made available for patients undergoing regular treatment such as chemotherapy, or for parents of babies in the neonatal NHS trusts said number plate recognition systems were being used across both trusts, adding the last increase to charges was more than a year ago. Gwen Nuttall, managing director at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, said: "We appreciate any increase is going to affect people using our services and we have avoided doing this for as long as possible."But we do have to introduce these slight increases in line with other costs that are rising that the Trust has to meet."Ms Nuttall also said the trust was improving its car parks by looking at how to offer payment by app."Our teams also offer many more phone and video consultations, where appropriate, so fewer patients are having to travel and incur charges," she said."This is also having an effect on our clinics, meaning those for whom a face to face appointment is necessary are having shorter waits and report a more efficient service." Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'I was disheartened to hear the rancour of local residents'
I READ your article regarding car parking on Spetchley Road. I am a resident on the Spetchley estate and I was disheartened to hear the rancour of local residents. Whatever happened to living in community with one another and understanding other people's needs? Doubtless the same people who are complaining drive their cars and park in places which inconvenience or annoy others. More: Meet the woman who creates dazzling window displays in city More: Pictures: All the business award winners from two counties More: Celebrating the 60th anniversary of Worcester theatre Councillor Elaine Willmore, in her letter to residents, very helpfully outlined the powers that they have and things that the council could and couldn't do. I am not saying that there is not a problem at school run times and there are safety concerns. However, there are more important things in the world than someone parking across my drive for 10 minutes to pick up their children. Yes, we should encourage walking to school as an option but we are in a car culture. So, complaining neighbours, try walking a mile in other people's shoes. See the stress that they may be under with work and school and all the other things life throws at us. And maybe do yourself some good, especially your blood pressure, by not sweating the small stuff. Rev David Southall Worcester
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Aussies warned about little-known road rule that could cost you a $2000 fine
Aussie drivers are being warned to check their parked cars, as a common habit could lead to hefty fines worth thousands of dollars. Leaving your car unlocked or its windows slightly open can result in serious penalties - depending on the state you're in. And while there are some exceptions, they apply to a very limited group of drivers. In several states, a 'three-metre rule' is in place, allowing drivers to keep their car unlocked only if they remain within three metres of the vehicle. Step any further away, and you could be slapped with a fine. Although the rule might seem excessive to some, Astor Legal principal lawyer Avinash Singh said there is a clear rationale behind it. 'The reasoning behind the law is to prevent cars from being stolen and then used in more serious crimes,' Singh said. 'The use of allegedly stolen vehicles makes it difficult for police to track down the offenders.' The exact penalties vary from state to state, and one state reportedly doesn't have the law at all. But in jurisdictions where it does apply, the consequences can be severe, highlighting the importance of knowing local regulations when it comes to parking your car. New South Wales Under Regulation 213 of the Road Rules 2014, if you're more than 3 metres away from your unattended vehicle, it must be locked, and windows secured. A window is considered secure if it's open by no more than 2 centimetres. The On-the-spot fine is $114, but the maximum court-imposed penalty is 20 penalty units, amounting to a fine of $2,200. Queensland Drivers must ensure their vehicles are locked and windows secured if they are more than three metres away, windows must not be open more than five centimetres. Failing to comply can lead to hefty penalties, with fines reaching up to $3,096. If the car is left unlocked with the keys still inside, the driver can be hit with a $2,669 fine. Victoria Drivers must secure their vehicles when parked and unattended. Windows are deemed secure if opened by less than 2 centimetres. An on-the-spot fine of $117, which can go up to $600 if it goes to court. Western Australia Drivers must switch off the car, remove the key, lock the doors, and secure the windows when leaving the vehicle unattended. The fine is $50, but there are some exemptions. Tasmania In Tasmania, drivers must switch off the engine, remove the key, lock the doors, and secure windows (no more than 2cm open) when leaving a car unattended. I It is also illegal to leave minors under 16 inside. Fines can reach nearly $200. Australian Capital Territory In the ACT, you must lock your car and close the windows when leaving it unattended. Breaking this rule can cost you up to $3,200. Northern Territory In the Northern Territory, it's an offence to leave a car unlocked and unattended when the driver is more than three metres away, and no one is inside. Fines may vary. South Australia South Australia is the only state where drivers are not legally required to lock their cars when unattended. Under Regulation 23, there's no penalty for leaving your vehicle unlocked, possibly because stolen cars are less commonly linked to serious crimes there.
