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The parking woes continue for Ara

Transport

Lachie McLeod

Parking is a popular topic amongst the cleaning staff at the Ara City campus and it’s very rarely positive. 

Some staff are not happy they're being charged $25 a week for 2-5 hours work. 

An Ara cleaner, who wanted to remain anonymous, said they were given free parking last year, after approaching the institute, but that’s been taken away. 

The Ara cleaner and their colleagues find it extremely hard to get a park in the morning with some having to park outside the Christchurch city's four avenues.

“There’s not many free parks around this city full stop.” 

They said most of the cleaners work part-time and $25 a week was a large sum of money.  

The Ara cleaner believes not only are the staff being affected but so are the students. 

“I don’t think they should be capitalising on the institute. Students pay enough as it is to study there, they shouldn’t have to pay more to come in.”

Over the summer break Ara installed a new pay-by-plate system allowing staff and students to pay by card.  

 

New Pay by Plate Machine
The new Pay-by-Plate machine at the Southwark Street carpark. Lachie McLeod

The campus also placed flyers on cars briefly explaining how the new pay-by-plate works.  

 

Ara Parking flyer
The Ara flyer which has been placed on cars around campus Supplied

Ara now employs LPC Enforcement Service Limited to monitor the carparks. Previously an Ara employee was given the enforcement role. 

The Ara cleaner is worried that due to this outsourcing they will not be as lenient as previous years. 

It cost five dollars a day to park, with a $65 fine for not paying.  

“A $65 fine is crazy. The people that park there are either students or people that work part-time. These people don’t make a lot of money.” 

The Ara cleaner said “everyone's pretty anxious to see what will happen because obviously you need to get into work.” 

Ara carparks are usually full on a daily basis and the Ara cleaner believes it’s a revenue gathering scheme for the campus. 

The Ara cleaner believes lowering the price to $2 a day would even help.  

“$10 rather than $25 a week is pretty good.”  

However, the cleaner ultimately thinks students and staff should get free parking if they have an Ara sticker in their car window.  

Ara was approached for comment but declined.