Monthly Archives: October 2017

Car park disruptions

The following car park disruptions affect Canterbury campus. There are no known disruptions at Medway campus at this time.

28 October 2017- Giles Lane car park
On Saturday Giles Lane blue zone will be closed for the Gulbenkian outdoor screening. Please ensure your car is removed from Giles Lane car park by 22.00 Friday 27 October. The car park will be reopened on Sunday.

31 October 2017- Sports Centre car park
The blue zone and pay and display Sports Centre car parks will be closed for exhibitors at the Careers Fair, as requested by the Careers and Employability Service. Please ensure your car is removed from the Sports Centre car park by 22.00 Monday 30 October. The car park will be reopened on Wednesday.

1 November 2017- April 2018
Part of the KBS car park will be closed while a compound is set up, as requested by Estates. The compound will aid the Kent Business School refurbishment which commences 6 November until April time. This is approximately 16 spaces.

Check the transport events calendar for any further disruptions until the next newsletter email is sent out.

Discounted staff bus travel- introduction of smart card tickets

We work with Stagecoach bus company to provide discounted bus travel for staff and students. Staff can purchase a Canterbury Megarider ticket or a South East Megarider ticket.

We have recently moved over to smart card tickets for staff, which are similar to the student Unirider tickets. The smart card is loaded up with your ticket and becomes active the first time you use it. Staff with existing paper tickets will be contacted in the next couple of months to upgrade to the smart cards at no extra cost.

The price of the staff bus tickets has slightly increased to reflect increases in Stagecoach tickets. Kent staff still save up to 55% off the public price for the tickets.

Terms and conditions apply. Please see leaflet and salary deduction agreement for more details, or contact the transport team.

Campus Shuttle reminders

The Campus Shuttle is a free service exclusively for University of Kent students and staff, for travel between the Medway and Canterbury campuses.

The service is not to be used for journeys between Liberty Quays and Medway campus. If you want to travel between Liberty Quays and Medway campus you can catch the 191 bus, which is included if you purchase the discounted Arriva student bus ticket.

To guarantee a seat on the Campus Shuttle please ensure you book a seat online to guarantee your travel www.kent.ac.uk/campus-shuttle

If there are spaces available you can board the service without booking by showing your Kent One card.

If you no longer need to travel on the service, please cancel your booking online in advance so others can book onto the service. If cancelling on the day, contact the transport team.

Follow @CampusShuttle on twitter for service updates.

What is Dr Bike?

‘Dr Bike’ are experienced mechanics who carry out bicycle maintenance, repairs, adjustments and safety checks.

Dr Bike carry out checks and adjustments for free. If you require more substantial work, there is a charge but this is at a reduced rate for University of Kent staff and students. They can now take card payments as well as cash.

Dr Bike is on Canterbury campus every Wednesday between 08.30-15.00 at the Cycle Hub near the Sports Pavilion  (Term-time only.)

Dr Bike visits the Medway campus on certain dates throughout the academic year and is located in front of the Rochester building between 11:30 and 14:30 on these days. Please check our website  or Twitter page for upcoming dates.

This is a service provided by the Estates department.

Changes and updates to parking

New parking database

The new virtual parking permit system launched at the end of September. All staff and eligible students are able to apply for a virtual parking permit.

Parking permits are monitored using hand held automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology, making it more efficient to manage unauthorised and incorrect parking.

Once your permit has been issued, you can log in to the permit system to:

  • Change, remove or add a vehicle to your permit. Students can only have one vehicle on their permit
  • Add a daytime telephone number so we can contact you, for example if you leave your car lights on
  • Check when your virtual parking permit expires
  • Purchase daily vouchers if you have been issued with a daily voucher permit

Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust now have the ability to monitor virtual permits, which will enable them to identify (in real time) if a vehicle has a valid permit. Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust will charge you for parking on arrival if you do not have a valid University of Kent permit.

Thank you for your patience with us while we transition to using the new parking system. We hope the new system and changes to enforcement will improve parking on campus. Visit the transport FAQs for more information about parking system.

Parking disruptions

14 October- Medway Open Day
Medway campus car parks will be very busy due to the Open Day. A traffic management plan is in place. Christ Church University also have their Medway Open Day on the same day.

16 October- Pavilion car park
Part of the Pavilion car park will be closed for Kent District School Mini Soccer Tournament, as requested by Kent Sport.

18 October- Drill Hall car park
The Drill Hall car park will be partly closed for exhibitors at the Employability fair, as requested by the Careers and Employability Service. If the Drill Hall car park is full, permit holders can park in the Mast Pond car park at the Historic Dockyard.

21 October- Canterbury Open Day
Canterbury campus car parks will be very busy due to the Open Day. A traffic management plan is in place.

Check the transport events calendar for any further disruptions until the next newsletter email is sent out.

Welcome to the newsletter

Welcome to the transport team newsletter.

The transport team newsletter replaces emails to permit holders sent out via our old parking system. Instead, parking news is now a regular slot in the newsletter.

The newsletter also includes travel news relating to walking, cycling, buses, the campus shuttle, car share and more.

We are trialling sending out the newsletter twice a month.

In between newsletters please view the transport team events calendar to be informed of any events or disruptions to transport or parking.

We hope you enjoy the new format. Please send any feedback to TransportTeam@kent.ac.uk

Liftshare Week 2017: ‘I can’t Liftshare because…’

No matter where that sentence ends, we can guarantee that we’ve probably heard it before. In fact, we think we could probably write a book about reasons not to share (it wouldn’t be on any bestseller lists, though).

And do you know what? We understand.

We understand that sharing isn’t always practical or even the best solution for you, every day of the week. That’s why Liftshare is designed to be as flexible as you need it to be.

You don’t have to car share every day to make a difference! Even based on sharing just once a week, you’d be surprised how much the benefits add up over time; we’re talking financial savings, as well as reducing your carbon footprint and decreasing congestion and parking pressures. Plus you might make great new connections through giving it a go!

Here are a few of the most common barriers to sharing we hear, and some handy solutions to help you think outside the box…

I can’t Liftshare because… I have small children’

The school run can require its own extensive events management team to pull off each morning, we can understand that adding sharing into the mix can be daunting. Here are some options:

  • Do you alternate the school run with a partner? Why not try sharing once or twice a week, when you’re off-duty?
  • Why not add your journey to Liftshare using the postcode of the children’s school as the start point? Who knows, you could pick someone up en route.
  • Does anyone else at the University of Kent have children at the same school? Or in the same area? They might be making a similar journey to you at a similar time- perfect conditions for a Liftshare!

I can’t Liftshare because… I go to [insert activity here] straight from work

We know you’re all busy living your lives outside work, and sharing your journey might not always be your highest priority, and that’s ok. However, sharing is still possible! How about:

  • If you like going to the local gym after work, the chances are, someone else from Kent could be heading there, too! You could discover a new gym-buddy, too!
  • If your activity means you leave the house very early or don’t go straight home after work, could you give someone a lift just one-way? You could save someone from waiting around for public transport once a day!
  • Are there any nights of the week that you’re not busy? Could you share your journey once or twice a week, on the days that you do go straight home?

I can’t Liftshare because… I work part time/from home a lot/flexible hours

This is where the flexibility of the Liftshare system comes into its own! Read on:

  • Let us reiterate: you don’t have to share every day! Add your journey to the system and use the box for additional information about your journey to outline your circumstances if you work inconsistent hours. The system is designed to match similar journeys and allow you to communicate between each other so that sharing can work for you. It’s completely different from booking a taxi or a ticket on public transport.
  • Could you commit to sharing once a week? If you’re flexible, perhaps you could choose to come into work on the day your Liftshare match works? Even once every two weeks is great!
  • Our messaging system is designed to help you communicate quickly, particularly if you download the Liftshare Companion app- you can send messages quickly and easily from your phone, so if you get called into the office at the last minute, you can send a message to your Liftshare match immediately!

This Liftshare Week, all we ask is that you give sharing a try. No commitment, no strings attached.

Your Chance To Win £250!

We are so certain that there’s someone for everyone to share with, no matter your circumstances, that are putting our money where our mouth is.

Between the dates of 25th September – 15th October anyone who uses Liftshare to send a message or a share request to another member will be automatically entered into a prize draw to win £250, to spend however you like. It’s that simple.

And to say ‘thanks for sharing’, those of you already in a Liftshare team will be automatically entered, too.

Get involved now at https://liftshare.com/uk/community/unishare

Liftshare Week 2017: Your chance to win £250!

Liftshare week takes place nationwide each October to celebrate the social, financial and environmental benefits of car-sharing. This year, the dates are 2nd-8th October, and here at the University of Kent we want to encourage all of you who are already sharing, as well as giving those of you that haven’t tried it yet the opportunity to give Liftshare a go!

We are certain that there’s someone for everyone to share with, so we’re offering a great incentive for everyone who tries out Liftshare over the course of Liftshare Week.

Between the dates of 25th September – 15th October anyone who visits https://liftshare.com/uk/community/unishare to get in touch with another member via a message or a share request will be entered into a prize draw to win £250. It’s that simple. And to say ‘thanks for sharing’, those of you already in a Liftshare team will be automatically entered, too.

This offer applies to all of our members, whether you have been using the scheme for a while, or if you are completely new!

If you haven’t yet joined Liftshare you can do so now absolutely free! Visit https://liftshare.com/uk/community/unishare and follow the instructions to register and add your journey details. Then search for a match, get in touch and get sharing!

You don’t have to Liftshare every day, even sharing once a week with someone makes a big difference. You’d be surprised how much the benefits add up over time; we’re talking financial savings (drivers can make back up to 100% of their fuel costs by sharing), as well as reducing your carbon footprint and decreasing congestion and parking pressures. Plus you might make some great new connections!

You can read the Ts and Cs of the competition over at the Liftshare website.