Student union says MUN parking almost as expensive as tuition

Memorial University's students' union says there's a misunderstanding about how much students on the St. John's campus are actually paying to park.

On Monday, CBC reported that undergraduates pay just $36 dollars a year for a parking permit, but each parking space costs $344 a year to maintain.

MUNsaid it wants to raise parking fees to start recovering its costs.

• Memorial University looks to end subsidizing parking rates

MUN not telling whole story: union

Brittany Lennox, the director of external affairs for MUNSU, told the St. John's Morning ShowTuesdaythe universityis not painting a true picture of the parking situation.

Lennox said only 8.6 per cent of students actually get a parking permit, and those namesare selected in a lottery.

As a result, Lennox said most students who drive are forced to pay an hourly rate in a meteredspot.

Parking costs almost as much as tuition

She said thehourly rate for parking metres just increased to $1.50 in May, and it costs students about $15 a day to park on campus.

Lennox said that adds up to $60 a week, which is about $960 a semester.

Making students go into further debt is not the solution.- Brittany Lennox

"So that's comparable to what your tuition is," she said.

"That's why students are getting so upset that there's these numbers being touted that students are only paying 36 dollars a semester, when that's not the case."

University downloading costs

Lennox said increasing the hourly rate, and the possible move to increase the permit rate, means the university is downloading its financial shortfall on the backs of students.

"Making students go into further debt is not the solution," said Lennox.

When asked whetherpaying more to park couldencourage students to walk, bike or take the bus to the university, Lennox said that's not a realistic option for everyone.She added that Metrobus, the city's public transit system, is just not working for students.

"It's constantly late. It does not go to the areas that students are living in," she said.

"We need reliable transportation to get to our classes on time. When you know it could take 40 minutes for the Metrobus to show up on time, you don't have the luxury to take the bus."