AUBG Parking Lot Fee - Reasons and Reactions




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  • 2017-10-21 20:26:10
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Entrance/Exit barrier at Skaptopara 3's parking lot, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily On Sept. 1, the President’s office at AUBG came out with a statement saying that the university will impose a fee of 20 BGN for the use of the parking areas of Skaptopara III and ABF Student Center. Steven Sullivan, president of AUBG, defined it as a precautionary measure towards the presumable decision of the Blagoevgrad Municipality to enforce a no-parking policy on Svoboda Bachvarova Street (the driveway that passes by the AUBG campus). However, the people who use the parking area face yet another issue – the lack of available parking spaces. In his email to the AUBG Community, Sullivan shared his concerns about the future of the Svoboda Bachvarova Street. According to the local authorities, the street is a no-parking zone area even though AUBG students, faculty, staff, and local citizens have used it for years for that purpose. Due to the increase of the vehicles in this area, the AUBG president suspects that the local municipality will follow more strictly its previously established policy in order to alleviate driving through the street.
“Whenever the city begins to enforce this rule, any car parked on the street opposite the Skaptopara I, Skaptopara II, Balkanski Center, or Student Center will be liable to removal at any time without warning,” elaborated Sullivan in his email to the AUBG community.
[caption id="attachment_37123" align="alignnone" width="1401"]Graphic representation of the AUBG Campus, Image attached to the president's email Graphic representation of the AUBG Campus, Image attached to the AUBG president's email[/caption] Because of this, the AUBG administration has decided to tackle the issue by limiting the access to the Skaptopara III (P1) and ABF Student Center (P2) parking area only to the drivers from the AUBG community via a usage fee of 20 BGN for a six-month period. The AUBG president also pointed out that the new policy would not guarantee an available parking space for the registered cars. Its goal is to reserve the parking area for AUBG students, faculty, and staff. Once the fee is paid, each payee is given a Vehicle Parking Permit tag for his/her car, and the user’s AUBG card receives access to the two parking lots. The university is currently working on the construction of the municipal parking next to the ABF Sports Hall, which will have open access to all drivers. [caption id="attachment_37127" align="alignnone" width="1200"]A Vehicle Parking Permit Tag placed at Ivan Yanev's car (security guard at Skaptopara 2), Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily A Vehicle Parking Permit Tag placed inside Ivan Yanev's car (security guard at Skaptopara II), Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily[/caption] One of the security guards at Skaptopara II, Ivan Yanev, shared his observation that the number of cars parked at the AUBG campus has been increasing for the past couple of years. According to him, the situation has reached a moment when it is hard for drivers to find available parking spots.
“Despite having the vehicle parking lot ticket, I still cannot find place, where to park my car,” commented Yanev.
  [caption id="attachment_37136" align="alignnone" width="1200"]Radoslav Ferdov sharing his views, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily Radoslav Ferdov sharing his views, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily[/caption] The introduction of the new parking lot fee generated mixed reactions among the members of the AUBG community. Radoslav Ferdov, a fourth-year student who uses the Skaptopara III parking lot, is one of the students supportive of the new fee. According to Ferdov, the newly introduced fee has reduced the number of cars at the parking lot of Skaptopara III, which has increased parking slots availability.
“I think it makes sense, because when you give money about something, you commit to using it,” said Ferdov.
Ferdov said that during one of his visits at the AUBG Security Office it was explained to him that the money from the fee would be spend on the construction of parking barriers and the maintenance of the Skaptopara III and ABF Student Center parking. Moreover, he shared that the increase of vehicles on the street next to the campus has led to a couple of accidents [parked cars were hit].
  1. “It is dangerous at the corner between Skapto I and Skapto II. There is no visibility ahead and you cannot expect what is coming in front of you,” pointed out Ferdov.
He said that one of the best things to do right now is to have the street cleared up by cars, which opens another issue - reallocation of all of the parked vehicles. A solution Ferdov suggests is to construct a new separate parking only for members of the AUBG community. According to him, the best place for creating such a facility would be the area between the AUBG dormitories and the upper street. The student pointed out that this idea would be difficult to realize since that area belongs to different local owners, who would be difficult to track down. [caption id="attachment_37137" align="alignnone" width="1200"]Nikolay Pohlupkov speaking about the AUBG parking lots, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily Nikolay Pohlupkov speaking about the AUBG parking lots, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily[/caption] Nikolay Pohlupkov, a third-year student who uses the Skaptopara II’s parking lot, is one of the students, who have decided not to pay the fee. For him the issue with the newly introduced cost is not the monetary value but the fact that the payment does not guarantee available parking spots for the drivers. Pohlupkov expressed his concern that if the construction of the road near Kaufland is finalized, this would lead to an increase in the number of cars going through the campus area.
“I think if they make the route better, this will increase the traffic because the street is a shortcut – it does not go to the main passing street with the roundabouts, which saves time for drivers,” commented Pohlupkov.
Another problem, which the third-year student views as a factor that has affected the situation, is the accessibility of the parking lot to people, who are not part of the AUBG community.
“There are cars of people that come here and leave them here[the AUBG parking lots] for a couple of days, even weeks,” shared Pohlupkov.
[caption id="attachment_37138" align="alignnone" width="1200"]Aleksandra Ivanova expressing her opinion, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily Aleksandra Ivanova expressing her opinion, Dimitar Bratovanov for AUBG Daily[/caption] Aleksandra Ivanova, a second-year student who uses the parking lots around campus, expressed her dissatisfaction with the enforcement of the parking fee. She pointed out that the problem for her has nothing to do with the 20 BGN payment but with the low benefit she is getting in return. Ivanova shared that she is willing to pay a higher amount (up to 200 BGN) as long as she would receive a guaranteed parking spot in an area overseen by a security personnel. The person in charge would monitor the behavior of the drivers at the parking areas, prevent potential problems, and resolve issues. One of the reasons behind her proposal is the fact that she had her vehicle damaged three times for the past year.
“It’s fine if it’s a bit far away [the parking] but you still get your car safe. But it’s not OK to come home and not to find a place where to park your car,” said Ivanova.