Cardiff’s SU responds with petition after council proposes student parking permit ban

Cardiff University’s Students’ Union has responded with a petition and campaign after  Cardiff Council proposed to ban students buying parking permits in an online consultation.

Elected officers, including the SU president, are calling on students, as members of the community, to ensure their voices are heard.

@cardiffstudents

POV: Cardiff Council’s coming for you but you’re just a student tryna park😭🚙 #CardiffUni #CardiffStudents #CardiffSU #Cardiff

♬ ceilings – Sped Up Version – Lizzy McAlpine

The Students’ Union president, Madison Hutchinson, spoke to The Cardiff Tab about the campaign and what elected officers have done so far to push against the ban: “Nearly 3,500 students have already signed our petition, and we’re gathering case studies to highlight how this would harm individuals.”

Whilst the Students’ Union supports Cardiff’s efforts to reduce environmental impacts and acknowledges the parking challenges in areas like Cathays, Madison said that “denying them equal access to essential services like parking ignores their needs and risks deepening divisions between students and other residents.”

The Students’ Union is also launching a campaign in response to the consultation, Madison added: “We’re asking the council to reconsider this approach, conduct an Equality Impact Assessment, and work with students to find solutions that are inclusive and fair.”

Madison, along with other elected officers, plans to engage directly with Cardiff Council to ensure students’ voices are heard in this process. They also plan to meet with council leaders, local councillors, local MPs and Members of the Senedd, aiming to build a coalition of stakeholders to support students in making this case.

The SU president added that “students are part of this city, and they deserve to be treated as equals,” and that the policy “disproportionately affects younger people”, in particular the likes of healthcare students who “wouldn’t be able to complete their degrees without a car to travel to remote placement in Wales”.

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She also accounted for the impact it would have on students with disabilities who “are unable to access public transport systems.”

The Cardiff Tab previously contacted Cardiff Council for comment on this matter, a spokesperson said:

“The council encourages everyone to take part in the parking consultation. The proposals could have a significant impact on student parking and we are engaging directly with student bodies at the three universities in the city to ensure students are informed and that they are made aware of the opportunity to take part. In addition to the wider-ranging consultation, there will also be an opportunity for students to respond directly to the parts specific to them.

“An information sheet aimed at students, containing a QR code for easy access to give their views, will be distributed through the universities’ channels. Part of the council’s aim is to look at ways in which we can better promote active and sustainable travel within the city. We urge everyone to take part in the consultation so their voice is heard.”

You can sign the Cardiff Students’ Union’s petition here, and reply directly to the parking consultation here before the 1st of December 2024.

Furthermore, you can fill out the SU’s student survey here.