Tag Archives: sustainability

Dr Bike: bicycle servicing for staff and students

As part of the University’s Green Travel Plans and the developing University’s Masterplan Framework, the Transport Team are always trying to find ways to encourage sustainable travel. To encourage cycling we provide many initiatives across our campuses; including cycle hire, free bicycle health checks, and discounted bicycle repair works to staff and students.

Dr Bike health checks:

We work in partnership with Dr Bike, at Bycycle, to provide free bicycle health checks. Dr Bike is a trained bicycle mechanic, who offers free cycle health checks including adjustments and advice on repairs. Major repair work and parts are available and will always be charged at a reduced rate for staff and students

Medway campus:

The service is available to all University of Kent and University of Greenwich students and staff.

When and where is Dr Bike at Medway:

Dr Bike travels to the Medway campus once a month during term time between 12:30 and 15:30. His dates for the 2019/2020 academic year are:

Monday 18th November 2019

Thursday 23rd January 2020

Thursday 20th February 2020

Thursday 19th March 2020

Thursday 21st May 2020

Find Dr Bike outside the Deep End Student Hub on the Pembroke Campus.

Canterbury campus: 

The service is available to all University of Kent students and staff.

When and where is Dr Bike at Canterbury:

Dr Bike is on the Canterbury campus every Wednesday, during term time between 10:00 and 16:00.

Find Dr Bike at the Kent Sport Cycle Hub outside the Pavilion, on Park Wood road.

For any enquiries regarding bike hire or servicing, contact ByCycle on chris@easybycycle.co.uk or telephone 07842 636597. For more information see our cycling webpages.

Booking a Seat on the Campus Shuttle

The Campus Shuttle is an important service which connects the Medway and Canterbury campuses for staff and students, so we want to make it as efficient as possible. Therefore, The King’s Ferry are working with ‘Mobile Onboard’ to improve the booking system.

Due to a technical error with the shuttle booking system, it is currently unable to update the driver in real time with the number of seats booked for each journey. To combat this, we have implemented an interim solution.  We would like to inform those who did not see our tweets earlier this term, that currently it is necessary to book a seat by 4am on the day of travel.  This ensures a list of bookings can be given to the driver at the start of the day. Along with this,  the driver will request to see your ticket and Kent One card to validate your booking.

Booking a ticket is quick and easy. Please see our step by step guide on how to book and cancel tickets below, it only takes a minute!

To book your seat:

  1. Book a seat on My Mobile Tickets from your desktop, tablet, or mobile phone.
  2. Log in using your University of Kent details. The first time you register you will be asked to confirm your email and mobile number.
  3. Choose the direction of travel for your journey and press ‘Book’. Choose the date and time you wish to travel and press ‘Select’. Check your booking details are correct and press ‘Get Ticket Now (Free)’.
  4. On ‘Your Tickets’ page, click ‘Show Ticket’ to access your ticket for boarding.  You can either print your ticket, or show it on your smartphone when you board the shuttle. Please do not take a photo or screenshot of your ticket, as this can cause issues with the scanner and you may not be able to board.

Please remember to cancel your booking if you no longer require it, so we are able to offer the seat to another commuter. To cancel your seat:

  1. Go to ‘My Tickets.’
  2. Find the journey you need to cancel, and click on ‘Cancel Booking’.
  3. Confirm your decision and you will receive an email confirming the cancellation.

Please note that it is only possible to book a seat for journeys between Canterbury and Medway campuses. If there are spaces you are able to board the shuttle using your Kent One card to travel between any stops. You can also catch the 191 Arriva bus to travel between Medway campuses.

We are currently discussing with The Kings Ferry how to enable bookings between Medway stops in an effort to further improve the service for commuters.

Planning your journey for adverse weather

With evenings getting darker, adverse weather on the horizon, and temporary road closures, knowing the best way to travel can be tricky. Whatever the situation, the Transport Team’s Planning your Journey page has been developed to help plan your commute.

Travel Advisors update the page regularly with new apps, webpages, and social media links that give up to date information on road, rail, bus, and bicycle travel.

Now that winter is looming, we are updating the Transport web pages with the latest adverse weather information, and we will also endeavor to update you on our twitter page if there are any travel disruptions on or around our campuses.

Remember that weather can change at any time. Be prepared for this before you start your journey, no matter the mode of transport.

Driving
Ensure that you and your vehicle are prepared for driving in adverse weather conditions. Read some top tips to prepare for driving during the winter and don’t forget to plan your journey before you leave so you are aware of any disruptions.

Public transport, cycling and walking

  • Plan your journey, check if there are problems on public transport or local roads
  • Delay your journey, if possible, to allow temperatures to rise and ice or snow to melt
  • Avoid footways in the shade. It takes longer for ice or snow to melt in the shade
  • Always wear appropriate footwear and reflective/bright clothing
  • Ensure that you have a torch or lights so motorists and others can see you when walking or cycling. Think Be Bright Be Seen.

 

 

Liftshare Week: your chance to win £150!

Liftshare week takes place nationwide each October to celebrate the social, financial and environmental benefits of car-sharing. This year, the dates are 7th-13th October, and here at the University of Kent we want to encourage everyone to give Liftshare a go!

To celebrate, anyone that forms a Liftshare team between 30th September and 20th October 2019 will be entered into a prize draw to win a Red Letter day up to the value of £150.

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.

Sustainability successes at Kent

The 2017-18 Sustainability at Kent report which highlights the University’s sustainability successes has been jointly released by the Estates Department and Safety, Health and Environment Unit.

In March 2018 the University’s Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Karen Cox, signed the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals Education Accord on behalf of the University.

The Sustainability at Kent report gives examples of how as a university we are supporting each of the Sustainable Development Goals and demonstrates how sustainability is being embedded within each of the following areas:

  • Energy and water management
  • Waste and recycling
  • Biodiversity
  • Sustainable transport
  • Construction
  • Procurement
  • Sustainable food
  • Engagement
  • Community
  • Education for sustainable development

View the full report to learn more.

Student cycle hire

The University of Kent work with ByCycle to provide low cost bicycle hire to all students attending the Canterbury campus.

All bicycles available are second hand and have either been abandoned onsite or given to the University. Each bicycle has been security tagged and is registered to the University of Kent. They all come equipped with lights, a bell, and a lock, and have received a full service – they are as good as new and are ready to ride!

To hire a bicycle for the autumn term, Canterbury students should visit the Cycle Hub at the Pavilion on the following dates between 10.00 and 15.00:

  • 17 September 2018
  • 19 September 2018
  • 21 September 2018
  • 24 September 2018
  • 25 September 2018
  • 26 September 2018

Bicycles can be hired for £40 per term, alongside a security deposit of £60. The deposit will be refunded when you return the bicycle in good condition.

If any Medway students wish to hire a bicycle, they can do so from Liberty Quays accommodation.

For more information visit www.kent.ac.uk/transport/cycling or www.easybycycle.co.uk

Link

For students at our Medway campus, the cheapest way to commute to university is our Arriva Student Annual ticket. This ticket allows travel on any Arriva bus throughout Medway, Kent and East Sussex for the entire year.

The Universities at Medway work with Arriva to provide highly discounted bus tickets for both students and staff. Because of this, the student annual ticket is only £145. This works out as only 39p per day for travel all around the region!

This discount is available for students at both campuses. For information on how to apply, and the exclusive University of Kent promotional codes, please visit our Medway bus webpage

 

Cycle Shelter Maintenance

The University of Kent supports and encourages staff, students, and visitors in using bicycles as a means of transport to and from campus. To promote this initiative, the University has provided a number of designated cycle racks. To make sure all cycle shelters are maintained, Waste and Recycling are in the process of cleaning the shelters on campus. The work is expected to be completed before the start of the academic year.

Each shelter and cycle rack on campus has been numbered and a round metal disc has been installed beside it showing the number. The cycle map on our website has been updated with the numbers. When reporting an abandoned bicycle or requesting access, please quote the corresponding number for the shelter or rack.

For access to the cycle shelters, please come to the Security and Transport Centre, where we can grant access for all card access shelters, except those within Turing.

 

Stagecoach Price Changes

Buying Stagecoach’s dayrider and megarider tickets will soon be cheaper on the app.

From July 29, Stagecoach will be changing their pricing structure. You will be able to save up to 7.5% by buying all dayrider and megarider tickets in advance on the app, rather than in person on the bus. For example the Southeast dayrider will remain £7.00 on the bus, however, it will only be £6.80 through the app.

You can buy tickets up to three months in advance, then simply activate them on the days you wish to travel. Payment can be made securely with card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Android Pay.

For a full list of the new dayrider and megarider tickets, please visit the Stagecoach bus app website, or, to download the app, go to the App store or Google Play.

For staff and students, however, the cheapest option is a bus pass. Students will be able to get the Unirider bus pass from September.

Staff are eligible for either the Canterbury or Southeast Megarider at a reduced rate. Using the Southeast Megarider, staff can travel around Kent and East Sussex for as little as £1.45 a day.

For more information, or to apply for a bus pass, please visit our Bus discount webpages.

Wincheap Park and Pedal

Canterbury City Council have unveiled a new initiative for cyclists in Canterbury. Members of the public will now be able to store their bicycles in a secure cycle compound in Wincheap Park and Ride car park.

The secure compound has keycard entry and is covered by 24/7 CCTV cameras. There’s even a bicycle repair kit in the compound for emergency repairs.

Parking is free for those who use their bicycle to commute around Canterbury. The scheme is available to any member of the public, all you need to pay is a £15 deposit for the keycard.

Using Park and Pedal gives easy access to the scenic bike route into the City Centre, which takes just six minutes. Or commute to campus in just 10 minutes!

Please visit the Security and Transport Centre for a leaflet, or, to apply online, visit: www.canterbury.gov.uk/parkandpedal