Other impacts Due to the increase in cars being used to get to university there is a much larger increase in students wishing to purchase a parking permit. There is only a limited amount of parking spaces and demand has always outweighed supply. This increase in cars cannot be accommodated for and this is having an impact on staff as well as students who are struggling to be able to obtain a parking permit or find an available space if they do hold a permit. The local community wants to get involved with the students on this campus; if they do not have access to transportation then this restricts chance for getting involved in opportunities such as volunteering in the local community. Students are very proud of the university and SB campus they are very happy to be involved with showcasing the campus on open days and interview days. However they are very honest and will usually say what they believe. Students are likely to be honest about decreased transport links and this could have an impact on the intake of students in the following years. More people are likely to rebook into halls this year as there is issues with the transport. There is a limited number of rooms available, some buildings are not able to be used this year, and this means that some students will not be able to get their first choice of housing or there may be issues with new students based on SB not being able to book into hall accommodation on this campus. Evidence taken from recent SU survey (October 2016) We asked students why they used the hopper service and what it meant to them. These were some of the responses which sum up our points. Comments from students: “Commuting, live in the city, based on SB. Only mode of transport to get there. Otherwise would have to get a car, which isn't sustainable and there isn't enough parking on SB for everyone to drive” “I use it nearly every day to get to lectures/societies” “The 901 service is vital for people without cars to get into Nottingham as you can feel a bit 'stuck out in the sticks' at SB. For those of us with cars, it is cheaper and better for the
Q11 - Why do you use the Hopper Bus over alternative ways to travel? Most selected top 3 Reasons: It’s free 77% There’s no alternative way to get there 53% It allows me to access the places for my timetabled studies 51% It’s easy to use 43% It avoids having to park 39% It’s the quickest option 39% It’s the only way I know how to get to places 38% Comments: Students commented that they’re not allowed to park on Uni Park and there is limited parking on Hospital Campuses as a reason for using the hopper bus. Offers shelter in bad weather A lot of students said it was the only way to access Sutton Bonington, meaning a majority of the ‘no alternative way to get there’ was probably from these students. Do not have a car or bike. Q12 - Hypothetically, if changes were made to the Hopper Bus service that you use most frequently, what actions would you take? The £1 charge had the biggest impact on visiting other campuses less with 35% of students stating they would make the journey less often. If the charge was introduced, 12% of students say they would continue using the bus as normal, whereas 62% would use other forms of transport, 25% would attend fewer extracurricular activities and 22% would go to fewer lectures. Students based at different campuses responded slightly differently to this question: Sutton Bonington students: If the charge was introduced, 14% of students say they would continue using the bus as normal, whereas 37% would use other forms of transport, 46% would attend fewer extracurricular activities and 37% would go to fewer lectures. The above information suggests that a £1 charge would impact the studies of Derby and Sutton Bonington students due to a lack of alternatives. 103 students provided comments to support their decisions (an optional opportunity). Their comments are summarised below: Students on Sutton Bonington were most vocal and would feel more isolated if they were made to pay a charge or a there was a change in service. There are no alternative routes for them and many of them felt very upset by the potential cost. Again, for Sutton Bonington students, a change in hopper buses not running in term time would leave them stranded When exploring how students from different campuses perceive the impact differently, it can be observed in the below graph that students from Sutton Bonington and Derby are more pessimistic about the proposal of changes than other campuses