*New* UCD CAR PARKING POLICY

dajaffa

FRom an email that was sent to my staff accout:

UCD wrote:

UCD CAR PARKING POLICY

• The UCD campus car parks are strictly for use by:
UCD staff, UCD students, Non-UCD staff working on campus
and those visiting or conducting business on campus.

The Pay and Display car parks are accessible to anyone visiting the campus but are limited to 5 hours maximum stay for those paying with cash.

• Car parks will be randomly monitored to ensure that they are only being used by those described above.

• Staff monitoring car parks may ask drivers to produce appropriate ID or stipulate a reason for parking. Appropriate ID is deemed to be one of the following:
UCD Staff (Staff Card, UCD Student (UCD Student Card or welcome letter for 1st year students), Non-UCD Staff working on campus (Company ID), Visitors (verifiable reason for being on campus/contact name).

Drivers who do not satisfy the above criteria will be directed to the Pay and Display car parks or asked to leave the campus. Car registrations will be recorded, those subsequently found on campus will be clamped if they have not paid and displayed in a designated car park.
Drivers are encouraged to have the appropriate ID readily accessible to ensure efficient access to car parks.

• Persons checking ID must be treated with dignity and respect at all times.

• Parking is limited on campus and car parks are filled daily on a first come first served basis.

• Car park users must adhere to all signage and park in designated spaces only. Infringements will result in vehicle being clamped.


For queries relating to this policy please email: commuting@ucd.ie

breadmonkey

Excellent!

Red Alert

Finally something useful!

They should go the whole hog and do ANPR - you'd just have to register your car's reg no and you'd be in.

aaronquigley

http://www.ucd.ie/incomingstudents/parkingpolicyincoming.pdf

New Students to UCD should pay particular attention as this says:

"Students parking on campus may be asked to produce a UCD student card. As you will not have your UCD student card during Orientation Week please bring your UCD welcome letter as proof that you are an incoming student."

UCD parking policy is that the limited parking spaces available on campus are allocated on a first come first served basis. Those studying, working or visiting the campus may park if space is available.

Riamfada

Look at dajaffa using this as an excuse to let us all know she has a staff account .....


No sign of the pay parking no?

Red Alert

I noticed that alright - it's suspicious by its absense.

Scraggs

• Persons checking ID must be treated with dignity and respect at all times.

It says a lot about UCD staff and students the fact they have to add that in!!

Ado86

They have finally listened to us and introduced this new measure !! The amount of people I saw in the mornings walking away from their cars towards the no 46 bustop used to drive me insane ! I wish they would just introduce parking permits or something for people who drive to UCD everyday, everyone else could get a daily pass. It would cut down on the amount of people who drive in, I wouldnt mind paying for it if it guaranteed me a spot in the car park when I arrived.

Sarn

The problem with UCD providing permits as far as I'm aware is that it would be treated as benefit in kind and thus taxable. As far as I know this is why the old permit system disappeared.

Although I'm sure they could introduce a permit system at a very small annual fee to staff and students only.

Red Alert

How exactly is the current setup then avoiding being a benefit in kind?

Sarn

I decided to do some research. From the quote below it seems there is no issue. Roll on permits!

From www.revenue.ie
"The cost of car parking facilities provided by an employer are not treated as giving rise to a taxable benefit."

A few years ago there was a question of whether or not parking would be considered BIK that was when UCD scrapped the system (parking was not an issue then).

Edit: Just to clarify, BIK is not an issue according to revenue so they can give us free permits whatever.

dajaffa

Sarn wrote:

Although I'm sure they could introduce a permit system at a very small annual fee to staff and students only.

As far as I know they think that park + riders aren't that big a problem (BS imo) + that there still wouldn't be enough capacity with them eliminated. Henceforth they thought if it was say €50 for a permit, everyone would get them + it wouldn't really put people off bringing their cars. What they want to do is bring in some sort of hourly charge, but both staff + student unions don't want that. I reckon this measure is being done as a trial + if eliminating the park + riders results in there being adequate spaces, then they'll implement a proper permit system (might be electronic devices you could buy for €30 to be able to enter a car park, that idea has been touted anyway) in due course.

besty

Why did they have to start rectifying the parking the year after I finish? Always the way it is I suppose...

pretty*monster

Sarn wrote:

The problem with UCD providing permits as far as I'm aware is that it would be treated as benefit in kind and thus taxable. As far as I know this is why the old permit system disappeared.

I checked with my dad who works in DIT, they aren't taxed for their parking permits. so that's no the issue.

Ernie Ball

Ado86 wrote:

They have finally listened to us and introduced this new measure !! The amount of people I saw in the mornings walking away from their cars towards the no 46 bustop used to drive me insane ! I wish they would just introduce parking permits or something for people who drive to UCD everyday, everyone else could get a daily pass. It would cut down on the amount of people who drive in, I wouldnt mind paying for it if it guaranteed me a spot in the car park when I arrived.

They have not 'listened to us'. This is a half measure after their initial idea (charging everyone--staff and students alike--50 cents per hour) was met with a brick wall by the staff unions.

But you should be under no illusions: Brady and his ilk see parking as an opportunity for revenue enhancement. Fees by any other name. The only mistake so far has been assuming that the staff would be willing to pay fees.

cast_iron

This is excellent news - IF it is policed adequately.

Are they planning to spend more money on staff in order to police this policy yet not try to raise extra money to pay for it?

There well be some more Pay & Display areas popping up soon.

Tayto2000

The whole campus is going pay and display next year anyway, this is step one. I'll be sticking to the bike I reckon, but I'll enjoy the fireworks .

Ernie Ball

Tayto2000 wrote:

The whole campus is going pay and display next year anyway,

That is not correct.

Brady and co.'s preferred solution is much more elaborate: in-car electronic meters that open electronic gates and keep track of every hour spent on campus. A monthly bill is then sent.

This makes no sense for about 1,000 reasons not least that it would give staff a disincentive for remaining on campus.

No consideration has been given to any of the more obvious solutions: free window stickers for all students and staff; annual parking permits; parking permits distributed based on distance from campus, etc.

BKtje

"The cost of car parking facilities provided by an employer are not treated as giving rise to a taxable benefit."

Students aren't employed by UCD, infact students are UCD's customers so maybe that doesn't apply for the students (RE BIK). I could of course be talking out my arse in whiich case please correct me

Sarn

B-K-DzR wrote:

Students aren't employed by UCD, infact students are UCD's customers so maybe that doesn't apply for the students (RE BIK). I could of course be talking out my arse in whiich case please correct me

Absolutely, you can't deduct it from the salary UCD don't pay you. Fortunately as BIK doesn't apply to parking it's not a problem.

If the new system is properly enforced it'll be interesting to see the effect it'll have on park and riders. I would imagine O'Reilly and Engineering car parks would have the biggest culprits.

Ernie Ball

Sarn wrote:

Absolutely, you can't deduct it from the salary UCD don't pay you. Fortunately as BIK doesn't apply to parking it's not a problem.

Sure, but they can still make you pay. If Hugh and his cronies have their way, that's exactly what you'll be doing to the tune of 50 cents/hour.

By the way: your student union reps were on the committee and apparently signed off on the plan. Only staff unions scuppered it (for the time being).

Riamfada

Ernie Ball wrote:

By the way: your student union reps were on the committee and apparently signed off on the plan. Only staff unions scuppered it (for the time being).

Student Union sabats or Class Reps? Im ****e at this pseudo-politics stuff. I want names !

dajaffa

Grimes wrote:

Student Union sabats or Class Reps? Im ****e at this pseudo-politics stuff. I want names !

Well I'm pretty sure Dan Hayden was on it last year, so I assume Barry Colfer is this year, I'm not sure though

Red Alert

I'd love if either of them came on here and explained exactly how it was in my interest to have to pay money to college for it - they do represent me yeah?

Riamfada

Well Dan is gone now, but yeah they represent you alright. As far as I know, Dan worked hard for the car parking campaign. But at the end of the day if the Presidents Office makes a decision thats better for the college, the enviroment ect no one will listen to the individual student.

Ernie Ball

Grimes wrote:

Well Dan is gone now, but yeah they represent you alright. As far as I know, Dan worked hard for the car parking campaign. But at the end of the day if the Presidents Office makes a decision thats better for the college, the enviroment ect no one will listen to the individual student.

First of all, UCD is not a monarchy. The President's office cannot decide such things unilaterally. Secondly, the environment is hardly their concern. They are concerned with milking students and staff for all their worth. Thirdly, this milking might be acceptable were it for the greater good of the college. Unfortunately, given their track record on such things (renovations to Hugh's house; exorbitant sums spent on consultants; pointless spending on frippery for the campus, etc.), nothing could be less certain.

The students and their union reps have been altogether too docile with this administration as it has made UCD a worse place in which to learn. Ask any lecturer who isn't among the select cronies in key positions and you'll get an earful. It'd be nice to see them do more than rely on the staff unions to resist whatever inane plan Hugh and his merry band of county councillors have devised this month.

Tayto2000

Ernie Ball wrote:

That is not correct.

Brady and co.'s preferred solution is much more elaborate: in-car electronic meters that open electronic gates and keep track of every hour spent on campus. A monthly bill is then sent.

Hmmm interesting. What's your source on this? Multi-storeys are due down the road (ie years away) but I'd be very surprised to see any kind of serious solution like that in the meantime. Pay and display has been confirmed by the buildings superintendant and I find it plausible as all colleges are casting about for alternative revenue streams to replace fees.

The parking monitoring is a step in the right direction, but will it be occasional spot checking or a person at the entrance to the carparks? I've seen checks being done early in the morning already, but it must be pretty haphazard.

Also, people seem convinced that park and riders are a huge problem. As has been said before, it's just the huge rise in car ownership. Even ten years ago, aside from a lucky few, students simply did not drive to college. Look at the stats from the cso here:

http://home.connect.ie/dcc/docs/commute.jpg

Started in '96. Not much chance of reversing anytime soon.



...It's not really relevant I suppose, but I still can't help feeling amused by the constant assumption that free parking is a fundamental right and that everything on campus should be geared towards the convenience of car drivers. As mentioned, doesn't really affect me because I choose not to drive but even so...

Ernie Ball

Tayto2000 wrote:

Hmmm interesting. What's your source on this? Multi-storeys are due down the road (ie years away) but I'd be very surprised to see any kind of serious solution like that in the meantime.

I can't tell you how I know this. However, I can assure you that the admin were ready to run with the technical solution as early as this September until they got derailed by all three trade unions.

Pay and display has been confirmed by the buildings superintendant and I find it plausible as all colleges are casting about for alternative revenue streams to replace fees.

This is what you get when you treat a university like any other business.

...It's not really relevant I suppose, but I still can't help feeling amused by the constant assumption that free parking is a fundamental right and that everything on campus should be geared towards the convenience of car drivers. As mentioned, doesn't really affect me because I choose not to drive but even so...

There is a distinction to be made here: for staff, charging for parking is a change in the conditions of employment and remuneration as stated in their contracts. Basically, the university would be effectively paying them .50/hour less than what their contracts stipulate.

Students, on the other hand, have no rights whatsoever in this regard.

pretty*monster

Ernie Ball wrote:

By the way: your student union reps were on the committee and apparently signed off on the plan. Only staff unions scuppered it (for the time being).

That's a very unfair summary of what happened.
The staff union had the power to stop the charges. The student union didn't.

Ernie Ball

pretty*monster wrote:

That's a very unfair summary of what happened.
The staff union had the power to stop the charges. The student union didn't.

There were lots of things the students' union reps could have done, not least to publicise what was on the cards. If student had known about the plans, they might have made their feelings felt.

As it is, because only the staff unions have objected, what is likely to happen now is different treatment of staff and students, where staff can park for free and students have to pay. Brady wants money out of this (solving the parking problem is a lesser concern). If he can't get it from the staff, he'll get it from the students. In fact, given the way these things work--selling the contract out to the highest bidder--it probably doesn't take much off the value if staff are all given free passes.

This goes to show: students cannot and should not rely on staff unions to take stands on their behalf.

dajaffa

Ernie Ball wrote:

There were lots of things the students' union reps could have done, not least to publicise what was on the cards. If student had known about the plans, they might have made their feelings felt.

I personally plastered the consourse with bright red posters earlier in the uear inviting students to an open meeting about the "parking crisis". Hardly anyone came but we couldn't have done much more to advertise it.

And the SU didn't support the paid parking, they supprted the in-car meters which when originally touted there wouldn't be a monthly bill, peopl would just pay €30 for the device, though admittedly there were fears that they were designed for a pay parking system. In any case the staff unions have a lot more influence over this matter than the students.