Category Archives: News

New airport service ready for take-off

Starting next month (Monday, December 7), the UK’s largest coach operator is to begin turning the wheels on the new round-the-clock straight-to-the-terminal service – which will be the only means of travelling between Gatwick and Kent direct via public transport.

The service calls at both University of Kent campuses, stopping at Keynes Bus Stop, Canterbury and Dock Road, Medway. Pick up and drop off points will include Canterbury, Chatham, Gillingham, Maidstone, Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate. Travel times will be up to 45 minutes quicker than their rail counterparts, all of which involve at least one change.

The dedicated National Express service will serve both terminals from locations throughout Kent up to eight times a day, with journey times taking as little as an hour with tickets on sale now.

“With so many passengers and employees regularly travelling between Gatwick and Kent we are delighted that National Express will be providing a direct transport link. By increasing connectivity with Kent and providing the only direct public transport link we look forward to welcoming even more passengers to the airport.” – Gatwick Airport Chief Commercial Officer, Guy Stephenson.

National Express is Britain’s biggest coach operator serving over 900 destinations, including towns, cities and major airports across the UK. The coach company operates around 19 million journeys each year, around a third of which are to airports. Online fares start at £5 one-way and the cheapest available fares can be found using their dedicated Low Fare Finder.

For further information visit our National Express webpage.

13 November- National Express coming to Medway

This Friday (13 November) will see National Express coming to Medway campus for a photo shoot to promote their new coach service to London Gatwick airport!

If you would like to get involved and be in the chance to win return tickets for a coach journey with National Express, go to Central Avenue bus stop at 9am where you will find the National Express coach.

On 7 December National Express will be launching a new coach service to and from Gatwick Airport. This service will operate to and from both the Canterbury and Medway campuses up to 8 times a day. For more information visit:

https://www.kent.ac.uk/estates/services/transport/buses/nationalexpress.html

Don’t forget you can purchase a Young Persons Coachcard to get 1/3 off National Express travel.

 

 

Travel Plan Survey- have your say!

Tell us how we can improve travel for you to, from and around our campuses! Complete the Travel Plan Survey before Friday 13th November:

https://www.kent.ac.uk/estates/services/transport/survey/

The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete depending on how much information you are willing to share with us. Don’t forget to provide your University of Kent email address in the last question if you wish to enter into the prize draw.  You could win £100 food voucher to use within the University’s catering outlets or one of 200 hot drinks vouchers.

The data from this survey will be used to update the University Travel Plans, which aim to improve or maintain the transport infrastructure and reduce single car occupancy where possible for next 5 years.

If you or your colleagues are having trouble completing the survey, please do not give up as your opinions are important to us. Contact the Transport Team, Estates Department and we will assist you.

Travel Plan Survey- have your say!

Tell us how we can improve travel for you to, from and around our campuses! Complete the Travel Plan Survey before Friday 13th November:

https://www.kent.ac.uk/estates/services/transport/survey/

The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete depending on how much information you are willing to share with us. Don’t forget to provide your University of Kent email address in the last question if you wish to enter into the prize draw.  You could win £100 food voucher to use within the University’s catering outlets or one of 200 hot drinks vouchers.

The data from this survey will be used to update the University Travel Plans, which aim to improve or maintain the transport infrastructure and reduce single car occupancy where possible for next 5 years.

If you or your colleagues are having trouble completing the survey, please do not give up as your opinions are important to us. Contact the Transport Team, Estates Department and we will assist you.

Enter our Cycling Competition

WIN a FREE full bike service by visiting Dr. Bike at Canterbury Campus.

On 4th November drop your bike off at the West Oast Cycle Garage, at Park Wood, (opposite Grounds Maintenance) and get your FREE Winter bike MOT to check your bike over!

We recognise that this is not in Central Campus so why not use one of Dr. Bike’s free courtesy bikes to ‘park’ your bike ‘and ride’ back to Central campus.

Who is Dr Bike? Dr Bike are experienced bike mechanics from CyclingAge, who work in partnership with the Transport Team, Estates Department to help promote cycling at the University.

To find Dr Bike garage see map

Travel Plan Survey 2015

Tell us how we can improve travel for you to, from and around our campuses! Complete the Travel Plan Survey now:

https://www.kent.ac.uk/estates/services/transport/survey/

The survey takes around 10 minutes to complete depending on how much information you are willing to share with us. Don’t forget to provide your University of Kent email address in the last question if you wish to enter into the prize draw.  You could win £100 food voucher to use within the University’s catering outlets or one of 200 hot drinks vouchers.

The data from this survey will be used to update the University Travel Plans, which aim to improve or maintain the transport infrastructure and reduce single car occupancy where possible for next 5 years.

If you or your colleagues are having trouble completing the survey, please do not give up as your opinions are important to us. Contact the Transport Team, Estates Department and we will assist you.

Careers Fair Car Park Closures 03.11.2015

The Sports Centre blue zone and P&D car parks will be closed on 03.11.2015

This is to assist with the Careers and Employability Service annual Careers Fair, providing an opportunity for current students and recent graduates to meet with over 100 employers offering graduate vacancies and/or work experience opportunities within their organisations.

Please remember, that it is likely that other car parks in the centre of campus may be full. The University’s Traffic Regulations do state that we do not guarantee a space to park, however there is normally parking available in Park Wood Courts;

Parking enforcement will continue during the closure of these car parks, please ensure that you park in marked bays only within the car parks valid for your permit.

Cycle storage update- Canterbury

The Estates Department understand that cycle storage is very important to you all and so we are working hard to provide more spaces for bikes to be stored on campus, as well as trying to improve the quality of the current cycle storage available. Here is an update in regards to some of the issues that have been raised today, as well as the projects we are currently working on:

Sport Centre road cycle storage update

· We are pleased to report that the issue regarding the Sports Centre road cycle shelter (sometimes referred to as Jennison) has now been resolved and in working order. We are looking at how to improve communications in regards to if locks are not working in the future.

New cycle storage

· The Cornwallis East cycle rack is currently awaiting power to improve lighting and to provide card access control.

· The Central Visitor car park is currently awaiting power to improve lighting, CCTV and to provide card access control. The official opening day is for this cycle shelter is 19 October.

· The Darwin bicycle shelter is awaiting power to provide card access control and CCTV. The Project Team are aiming to complete this shelter before the end of October.

· The bicycle storage at the bottom at the bottom of St Stephen’s Hill next to the Tyler Court steps is now completed and in use.

Old cycle storage

· Once the Central Visitor car park cycle shelter is completed and fully operational, the old Cornwallis bike storage near the Gulbenkian main entrance will be closed.

· Once the new Darwin bicycle shelter lock has been activated and the shelter is fully operational, the old Darwin bicycle shelter with the College, will be closed.

Follow @unikent_travel on twitter or check back here for further updates

Important changes to Stagecoach fares and services

Fares

Please refer to our website for further information.

Stagecoach have improved their discounts for University of Kent staff and students by discounting their Canterbury Megarider tickets on production of your KentOne card or Kent Union staff ID card on each journey.

From 20 September you will no longer be able to purchase a uniday or uniweek ticket, it is recommended you purchase the Canterbury Megarider discounted tickets which give you unlimited travel not just to and from Canterbury but within the Canterbury megarider zone. Alternatively, don’t forget staff can purchase 13, 36 and 52 week tickets and students can purchase academic year and termly tickets at greatly reduced prices.

Ticket Type Details Discounted Price* Public Price**
Canterbury dayrider Valid for 1 day £2.90 £3.70
NEW TICKET Canterbury dayrider 5 each individual dayrider can be used on any day within a year of date of purchase. £13.05 £16.20
Canterbury Megarider week megarider is valid for 7 consecutive days from the date of purchase. £10 £12.50

*All prices are correct as of 20 September 2015

Changes to the bus routes

Please refer to the website or route map for further details

  • UNI2 – new route replaces the 26 bus service. Operates from Hales Place, to all stops at the Campus, Canterbury West station, Sainsbury’s, the bus station. From the bus station it uses the same route as the Unibus service.

 

  • Number 36 – new bus serviceOperates from Whitstable, Keynes bus stop, Sainsburys, the bus station. From the bus station using the same route as Unibus service to Keynes bus stop and then onto Whitstable

 

  • Triangle Service – change to timetable. Not all Triangle Services will operate into Keynes bus stop – please check the timetable. The Triangle service can be identified by the red triangle.

 

 

Summer vacation parking 2015

The University hosts a number of events and conferences during the summer, requiring coach and car parking. In addition, there are major maintenance works and new building developments taking place.

In order to manage parking safely and effectively through the summer the following car park disruptions are required:

–      Giles Lane blue zone partial closure from 20 June to 11 September. This will be for coach parking and will change in size in accordance with the number of coaches requiring parking. This is dependent on the reported numbers given to us from Hospitality and other departments. This aims to stop coaches parking in central car parks.  If you arrive to the University and find a coach parked in any of the central car parks please report this to Campus Security.

–      Sports Centre blue zone car park full closure from 22 June until 11 September. This is for use by contractors working on summer maintenance works in central campus. (Please note there is still a requirement for some vehicles to use central car parks)

–      Sports Centre blue zone car park partial closure from 14 September until 16 September.  This is to assist with the Open day event on 16 September.

–      Lypeatt Court car parks full closure until 14 September.  This is for a site compound for the Hospitality refurbishments work.

–      Park Wood Courts – Contractors for University building projects and projects within the Park Wood area will receive a permit to park within these car parks.

–      Tyler Court B & C Accessible bays full closure until 14 September.  As this area is being used as the site compound for Hospitality refurbishment. 2 bays will remain if possible.

–      Rutherford rear Accessible bays will remain available to use but a manned barrier will be in place on the fire road which accesses these bays.

On Wednesday 16 September an Open day is being held which will results in car parks closures.  Full details will be announced nearer the time.

The Traffic Regulations continue to apply.