Magee parking: 'I get here two hours early to find a space'

Cailtin and Eadaoin say they arrive two hours before class to find a parking space

Radiography student Eadaoin Ni Chaoilte is in her final year of study at Ulster University's (UU) Magee campus in Londonderry.

She lives in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, some 55 miles (88km) from the campus.

It is a drive that, all other things being equal, takes about 90 minutes.

But with parking at the campus at a premium, she said there is no choice but to allow more time for the commute.

"We always come earlier than we should, we start classes today at 11:00. We are here now at 09:00 to get a parking space," she told BBC News NI.

Eadaoin paid to park use the Magee site's two car parks last year - an expense she said that is now "too dear".

A 12-month parking permit at UU costs students £75.

The university has two car parks at its Magee campus

Student Cailtin McKillion transferred to Magee after spending her first year at UU's Jordanstown campus.

There, parking was not the same issue that it is in Derry, she said.

Now studying at Magee, she said parking is a daily challenge.

"It is so hard to get a space, there is not enough parking," she explained.

That means there is little option, Cailtin added, but trying to find an on-street space close to class.

Paying for a pass, she said, does not necessarily mean there will be a space available at the on-site car parks.

Earlier this month, UU said some students had chosen to "park irresponsibly" near its campus in the city.

Students have been told to park legally to avoid annoying residents, the university said.

Jim Kelly, the chairman of the Aberfoyle Residents' Association, said illegal parking had made life "very difficult" for people who live close to the campus.

Residents living near the Magee campus say problem parking in the area is nothing new

The university said it is exploring how public transport might be improved to ease parking congestion in the area.

"We are actively collaborating with Translink and the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to further enhance public transport and active travel access to the campus," a UU spokesperson said.

The university added that students are made aware of the "terms and conditions for the purchase of a university parking permit, does not guarantee a space".

Donall Hegarty, the Student Union vice president at Magee, said parking has been an ongoing area of concern.

"We have seen a massive expansion at the Magee campus in recent years, that's fantastic to see, but the resources and facilities haven't grown at the same rate that the student population has," he told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme.

He added: "I don't think it's an issue resolved soon unless there is an investment in parking facilities made available to staff and students."

A proposal for new parking restrictions close to the campus - the extension of double yellow lines on Duncreggan Road - is currently "going through the legislative process and will be advertised for consultation shortly", the DfI said last week.