A student at the Universities at Medway campus was outraged recently after receiving an extortionate fine for parking in an unauthorised area of a surrounding street. Flori, an eighteen year old student from the University of Kent, returned to her car mid-last week only to find a ticket on her window demanding £60 for choosing the wrong spot to leave her car.

Ian Jones, the parking supervisor at the Medway Council, claims town centres are among the worst places to be hit by fines, as many motorists ignore restricted areas such as double yellow lines on through roads and overstay their allotted time in car parks. However, the council is not responsible for campus parking as it is privately controlled.

For the average student, £60 is a price few can afford to pay with ease especially students, with many spending around £30 on basic necessities such as food, petrol and socialising per week, those still living at home spending slightly less.

Any student driving to and from university should be mindful of parking restrictions around the campus when considering their budget, as one poor decision can result in one of two different categories of fines. For a lower type of fine you can expect to pay anywhere up to £50 for parking illegally and for a higher fine, of which much of the local area is included, can be between £50 and £70.

The council denies being responsible for the severity of the rules in relation to these fines, claiming that their practise is a result of government legislation which they are forced to acknowledge. However, Mr Jones states that “if you pay it within fourteen days of it being issued, the fine can be halved.”

Half a fine however, is a fine nonetheless and is just one more thing for students to add to their list of worries when living away from home.