Tag Archives: transport team

Social Media Competition

We would like to encourage our students and staff to interact with @unikent_travel on social media. Therefore, we have created a Transport competition with prizes.

The prizes include vouchers for various food outlets on Canterbury campus and the winner will be announced on Friday 17 December 2021.

To enter the competition:

Get a picture – this can be a photo you have taken or one that you have created.
Think of a good caption – either promoting road safety or sustainable travel home for Christmas.
Post the image and caption – you can post this on Twitter and/or Instagram.
Tag @unikent_travel in your post to enter the competition.

Unveiling of our revamped Transport & Travel website

After many months in development, we are proud to announce that we have a brand-new transport website! Our new website offers everything you need to know ranging from bus timetables to applying for a parking permit. The sleek yet simple design ensures that all of our useful information is accessible and easy-to-read so you can plan your journey with ease.

We would like to give a big thank you to Sami Bakaitis, a Student Work-Study Associate who worked with us on this new project. His developing knowledge on building websites and his eagerness to implement sustainability into our new webpages made him the perfect candidate for this role. Despite working from home, the Transport Team, the Web & Learning Development Team and Sami were all able to work together seamlessly to create a fluid and functional website.

“I am proud of Sami and Kelsey Laidler-Symes (Sustainable Travel Operations Coordinator) for having produced a website that supports the University Travel Plans aim to reduce single car occupancy, carbon emissions and provides information about Commuting Smarter around Kent.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank them both and others who have given their assistance to enable them to achieve this. In particular, the support from Gill Brealey (Traffic Operations Coordinator), the technical expertise from Jonathan Thirwell (UX Developer) and the guidance and help from Mark Fendley (Web and Learning Development Manager)

We welcome feedback on your thoughts or ideas on how we can improve our webpages to ensure they continue to work for everyone.”

Teresa Curteis- Head of Traffic Management & Travel

Permits to park on campus

The University actively promotes its Travel Plan that aims to reduce single car occupancy and encourage sustainable travel to and from Canterbury City and Medway Towns; supporting improved air quality, low-carbon emissions and active travel. Drivers on University of Kent Land need to be aware:

University of Kent Regulations for the Management of Traffic & Travel applies to all persons
All vehicles must be parked within a marked bay at all times, unless permission has been given by an authorized person in the Transport or Security teams
8am-5pm Monday to Friday, all drivers must have a permit to park on campus or visitors can display a P&D ticket at Canterbury campus, in accordance with the permit/ticket issued.
Parking enforcement is in operation at all times.

Therefore, although attendance on the campus may be limited drivers are still required to have a parking permit if they need to park on campus throughout this time.

The Transport Team recommend that staff and students who are eligible for a permit to park on campus review the most appropriate permit for them when applying.

Staff Permit Types:

12 month permit
3 month permit
Monthly permit
Day permit
Car Share permit.

Student Permit Types:

Student permit – academic year, 3 month, monthly, or daily.
Exceptional Circumstance permit – academic year, 3 month, monthly, or daily.
Health Access permit – academic year, 3 month, monthly, or daily.
Car share permit – 12 month or 3 month.

For more information on the different permits and how to apply: www.kent.ac.uk/transport/byroad

Campus Shuttle: the new booking system

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 have been working with ‘Mobile Onboard’ to improve the booking system.

You can now book a seat in advance. Booking a ticket to and from any bus stop, cancelling bookings, viewing all tickets and timetables is quick and easy. Please see our step by step guide on how to book, view and cancel tickets below, it only takes a minute!

To book your seat:

Book a seat on My Mobile Tickets from your desktop, tablet, or mobile phone.
Log in using your University of Kent details. The first time you register you will be asked to confirm your email and mobile number.
Choose the directions and the date of travel for your journey and select ‘Search Buses’.
A timetable of the scheduled services will appear, click ‘select’ for the scheduled service in which you wish to book. Check your booking details are correct and press ‘Book Now’.
On your checkout page, confirm that you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website and press ‘Place order’.

To view your bookings and get mobile ticket:

Go to My Mobile Tickets at the top of the page, next to the University of Kent logo, select the three horizontal lines and then select the option ‘My Bookings’.
A table will appear with all your bookings displayed, if you scroll across to the 6th column you will see the status of your booking.
In the 7th column of the table, select ‘Get Mobile 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:

Go to ‘My bookings’ at the top of the page next to the University of Kent logo.
In your bookings table, swipe across to the 7th (last) column titled ‘Action’ and select ‘Cancel Booking’.

Please note: You can also track the shuttle.

Planning your commute

It is important to plan your journey, especially at the moment to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Here are some tips from the University’s Transport Team.

Plan all your journeys before leaving your house.
Make sure you bring a face covering (unless you are exempt) and hand sanitiser with you. The Government has also provided a useful checklist that includes questions to ask yourself and what
to take with you before leaving home.
Be prepared for travel disruptions. For example, due to lower capacity, the bus you were expecting to catch may be full and you may need to wait for longer than anticipated.
Ensure your vehicle/bicycle is serviced regularly.
Social distance and follow the travel providers’ rules.
Ensure you know what payment methods travel providers require.
Be familiar with and follow the Government travel guidance.
Avoid travel during busy times, if possible.
Keep up to date with the latest advice from your travel service provider. See the list below for up to date guidance on public transport.
Remember to be kind and support each other – there are health reasons that mean not everyone is able to wear a face covering or may need to use a particular route that others are not able to use.

If you are travelling via public transport, it is important to ensure that you are familiar with what is required to travel with the service provider. For example, you are required to wear a face covering (if you can) when travelling on public transport or Campus Shuttle service. Some travel services may request card payment only and/or bookings only.

The travel providers have published some guides to explain their journey planning, social distancing and how to pay for travel:

Stagecoach: guide to travelling safely by bus.
Arriva Buses: coronavirus safer travel advice.
Campus shuttle: travel in confidence.
National Express: safer coach travel guidance.
Southeastern: coronavirus travel advice.
National Rail: coronavirus travel advice.
Eurostar: coronavirus information.

For more information, please visit the COVID-19 travel webpage and the coronavirus information webpages.

Campus Shuttle Updates

The Campus Shuttle service will begin operating again on Saturday 19^th September 2020. This is a free service between Medway and Canterbury campus that runs 7 days a week during term time and takes approximately 50 minutes. See timetable online.

During this time, some safety measures have been put in place to ensure you travel in confidence. This includes operating the service at 50% capacity to maintain social distancing. As a result, booking a seat on this service is essential and can be done at https://uok.mymobiletickets.com/webapp/login.aspx up to 30 minutes before you travel. If you are a student who requires a carer to sit next to you whilst travelling the Transport Team are available to assist with your booking.

If you are not travelling before the departure time please ensure you cancel your booking. This enables us to keep track of who has travelled on the service and allows others to book a seat at that time.

Face coverings must be worn at all times. All drivers are temperature checked prior to beginning their shift and all passengers are required to be temperature checked prior to boarding the Campus Shuttle. In the unlikely occurrence of a high temperature, please cancel your booking to travel (if possible) and contact Campus Security on 01227 823333.

Please check the @CampusShuttle twitter feed (which can also be seen on the Campus Shuttle webpage) for regular service updates.

Getting to and from the Campus

With the campus reopening it is time to start thinking about your journey to University. Due to the current COVID situation knowing the best way to travel can be tricky. Whatever the situation, the Transport Team’s Planning your Journey page is here to help you.

Alongside the Government safer travel guidance, we encourage all staff and students to walk and cycle to and from our campuses, where reasonably possible during this time.

Kent recommend before leaving home you plan for all journeys you will need to make before returning home and remember your journey may be disrupted due to COVID. Be prepared by always carrying with you face coverings and hand sanitizer to use in accordance with Government and University of Kent guidance, travel providers restrictions and

to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus.

To help you plan your journey, here are some useful links:

Kent’s Transport & Travel main page information about travel to Kent for staff and students.
Kent’s planning your journey page guidance to assist with planning your journey including useful web links, mobile apps and tweets to follow.
Kent’s COVID-19 Travel page information relating to University of Kent Coronavirus travel updates.
Government safer travel guidance page guidance from the Government on how to travel safely during COVID-19 restrictions.
How to use Kent’s buildings information relating to University of Kent Coronavirus updates.

Top tips:

Be prepared before leaving home and plan your journey. Including the journeys you need to make in between and the journey home.
Ensure you have everything you need, such as appropriate clothing for weather change.
Be prepared for travel disruptions. For example the bus you were expecting to catch may be full and you will need to wait for longer than anticipated.
Ensure your vehicle/bicycle is serviced regularly.
Ensure you are familiar with what is required to travel with the service provider. For example you are required to wear a face covering (if you can) when travelling on public transport or Campus Shuttle service. Some travel services may request card payment only and/or bookings only. Visit our COVID-19 travel page for more information on what is expected from you when travelling.
Social distance and follow the travel providers rules.
Ensure you know what payment methods travel providers require.
Be familiar with and follow the Government travel guidance.
Avoid travel during busy times, if possible.

Stagecoach Staff Discounted Tickets

The University of Kent works in partnership with stagecoach to bring our staff and students the best value accessible bus travel in Kent.

We are currently the first to be trialing the new Stagecoach mobile corporate app, which enables you to gain exclusive access to the latest discounted bus tickets. As a University of Kent or Kent Union member of staff you receive a 25% discount!

The discounted ticket range includes weekly (7 day) and monthly (28 day) tickets for the Canterbury local travel zone or the whole South East area, for those travelling a bit further to work.

Buying bus tickets on the mobile app means you can pay conveniently on the go using card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and you can use your ticket straight away! What’s even better is there aren’t any restrictions on when you can use your ticket. So whether you’re commuting to work, nipping out for the evening or exploring local hidden gems at the weekend, you can get there for less.

Of course, COVID safety is at the top of the agenda at the moment and Stagecoach has published a guide to travelling safely by bus – https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/covid-19-travelling-safely. With extensive measures to make their services COVID-secure all their local buses are accredited with Visit Britain’s “We’re Good to Go” official mark, recognising the measures they’ve taken to meet government COVID guidelines, keep buses clean and aid social distancing.

Remember – it’s mandatory to use of face coverings on all public transport and social distancing should be maintained at the bus stops and on the buses.

To get discounted bus travel now, download the app or for more information visit our bus travel webpage.

See our COVID-19 travel webpage for regular COVID updates and @UniKent_travel twitter feed (also displayed on our Transport news webpage) for regular service updates.

Dr Bike is back!

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

Dr Bike:

We work in close partnership with Dr Bike, at Bycycle, an experienced bicycle mechanic to provide bicycle maintenance, repairs, adjustments, and safety health checks. Dr Bike carries out checks and minor adjustments free of charge. Additional repair work is also available and will always be charged at a special University of Kent reduced rate.

Bicycle repairs will be conducted on a first-come-first-served basis and we generally aim for same-day service but this is less likely if you arrive late in the day!

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 08:30 and 16:00.

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

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 2020/2021 academic year are:

Thursday 8th October 2020.
Thursday 12th November 2020.
Thursday 10th December 2020.
Thursday 21st January 2021.
Thursday 11th February 2021.
Thursday 11th March 2021.
Thursday 13th May 2021.
Thursday 10th June 2021.

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

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.

COVID Safety:

To ensure this service is COVID-friendly Dr Bike has introduced enhanced cleaning regimes and will be using a track and trace system. It is also essential that you should not enter the workshop or storage areas unless absolutely necessary and when you do you maintain social distancing and wear a face covering. Please also try to avoid busy times, such as during lunch breaks.

For more information visit our travelling during COVID page.

Note: During this time our shower facilities are unavailable.

Dr Bike at Medway and bicycle marking by Medway police

Dr Bike’s first 2020 visit to Medway is coming up on Thursday 23 January. He will be outside the Student Hub between 12:30 and 15:30.

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

The University of Greenwich have also organised for Medway police to come and perform bike marking between 12:30 and 13:30. Marking consists of taking the frame number from your bicycle, then marking your bicycle with a unique reference number using a chemical compound and applying a semi-tamperproof sticker. All of the reference numbers are then logged on to a secure database, run by BikeRegister.

Registering your bike helps the police identify the legitimate owners of bicycles that have been stolen.

The police will also be able to offer bicycle security and safety advice.

You do not need to register for the event, which is free to all. Just bring your bicycle to the Student Hub on Pembroke campus.

For more information see our cycling webpages.

Transport News

This blog is used for broadcasting information about transport and parking at the University of Kent.