Opinion: University students need carparking

New student hostel? Great. No parking? Not so great, says Sonya Bateson. Image/supplied

I was in disbelief when I learned of plans for a 392-room student hostel in Tauranga with no carparks.

People spoken to in our Saturday story about the hostel didn't see this as an issue, as students who couldn't afford a car could walk, cycle or catch the bus around the city.

Sure, the hostel will be in the city centre so those lucky enough to get jobs nearby will be fine - although, as a young woman myself, I wouldn't feel safe finishing up work at a restaurant or bar late on a Saturday night and walking home through town alone.

And yes, there will be students who don't own a car, but some will.

I was a uni student in Hamilton 10 years ago and lived in a halls of residence on campus.

I had a car, which was far from uncommon.

Most people I knew from outside Hamilton also had cars and we battled each other for parks.

Driving was necessary for me. I had a part-time job at a homewares store on the other side of town that often closed well after dark.

Even if there were bus services available at that time of night, I never would have felt safe walking to and from the bus stop in the dark.

Plus I wanted to be able to drive home to Whakatane to see my family occasionally on my Saturdays off and wouldn't have been able to do this by bus in one day.

It won't be much different today - many students who will enrol at our new downtown campus will be from out of town or will want to drive to their late-night jobs.

But hey, students are a resourceful lot. I'm sure local ratepayers won't mind when students start parking on their berms.