Students, old and new, are voicing their opinions about the state of the university’s parking as the semester kicks into gear and the new parking contractor takes over.
Concord Parking became TRU’s official parking vendor on June 1, following the expiration of the previous vendor’s contract.
Zaryab Bukhari, a marketing student in his final year at TRU, has been paying just over $62 for his monthly general parking pass since acquiring his car last year. Initially, Burkhuri lived in residence and said parking was not a concern. He now commutes to campus and has changed that opinion.
“In the morning, it’s a mess,” Bukhari said. “My class starts at 8:30, and I usually come to TRU at 7:45 just to find parking. The available spots [I located] are at the McGill housing, nowhere near the university.”
Students like Bukhari who have parking passes are not necessarily guaranteed parking spaces. According to TRU, “parking is on a first-come, first-served basis,” which Bukhari found out firsthand.
“Two weeks ago, I was looking for a spot, and my class was about to start. I had to park my car in the premium parking and pay on top of what I pay [monthly].”
As of Sept. 18, TRU had sold 1,873 total economy and general parking passes and has confirmed that there is no cap on the number of passes that can be sold. Per TRU, there are currently 1,895 combined economy and general spaces on campus.
Although he studied at the university between 2002 and 2007, longtime Kamloopsian Christopher Dale said the parking situation sounds like it hasn’t changed.
“It was pretty horrendous,” Dale said. “Depending on the time of day, you wouldn’t get a spot. You’d have to park off-site.”
While Bukhari hopes the university builds more parking spaces, Dale’s strategy for TRU students who may be stressed out over parking is simple.
“The best thing you [can] do is get there early. Get there early before anyone else. Then if you’re fine to stay the whole day, then stay the whole day,” Dale said.
Faizal Bukhari/The Omega
According to TRU’s website, pricing has remained fixed, and no recent changes have occurred with the parking infrastructure. However, physical pay stations on campus have been removed, and students are expected to pay via card by scanning QR codes posted around the lots.
If drivers lack access to credit cards, Visa debit, or smartphones, they can make their payment at the parking office located in the CAC.
TRU tells the Omega they have monitored parking lots at various times and have determined that the university will “often have space available until mid-morning and sometimes beyond.”
Additionally, they said that the specific time of year may exasperate the issue.
“Parking challenges are always heightened in September when those seeking parking are not aware of the challenges and the necessity of being on campus early to secure a spot,” a statement from TRU read. “This challenge has been the case for many years, and it eventually subsides as the semester progresses.”
For inquiries regarding parking on campus, students are encouraged to contact Concord Parking by phone at (250) 828-5369 or email at tru@concordparking.com from Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.