Staffordshire University is clamping down on people who flout its parking regulations by dishing out a hefty number of fines.
Parking attendants acting on behalf of the institution handed out fines to dozens of students in just one day after many struggled to find spaces, reports the Sentinel. The university is set to introduce a parking permit for students and staff and it has made its intentions clear by punishing those who do not adhere to its restrictions.
The £70 fines have been in operation since January, although a high number of young academics have been given them recently.
It comes at a time when many of the people who drive and park on the university's campus in Stoke claim there are not enough spaces to satisfy demand. However, the university has indicated the total number of gaps has actually risen from 1,236 to 1,355 in the recent past.
Director of commercial services Linda Degg said: "Parking at our Stoke campus is limited and we acknowledge that at peak times, the car parks are full. Penalty notices are issued to cars parked inappropriately or outside marked bays. Car park signage is clear and abundant across the campus."
However, some undergraduates are still angry about the way the matter is being handled, with third-year social work student Gary Prince explaining he has been hit with two fines since September.
He suggested the fact the permits have not yet been sent out means people should still park for free and in neither case was he blocking the road or parking over a particular bay.
Mr Prince said he now arrives at 07:45 BST in order to find a space ahead of a 10:00 BST lecture, as this is the only way he can guarantee a parking spot. Other people are paying £8 a day to park at a nearby train station car park.
A number of students are now said to be thinking about a protest against the parking regulations.
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