Kingston University students are fighting for parking spaces after figures revealed nearly three quarters of parking around the Penrhyn Road campus was reserved for residents.

Just 294 of the 1035 on-street spaces in the vicinity are available for general use, causing many students to miss lectures as they battle for elusive parking spots.

Engineering student John Butler, 29, was fined 7 times last year and has already received 2 penalty charges in as many months in 2010.

"Parking is a big problem. I have been driving around for four hours trying to find a space, and I have missed all of my lessons today,” he said.

“At times, I have to park as far as Tolworth and then I get a bus to university. It’s totally unfair, there are loads of empty spaces but they are reserved for residents only.”

Non-residents can stay no longer than four hours in one space before needing to move to a new parking bay, a restriction which sees some students structure their days around parking.

This is a problem film studies student Zalika Francis-Dillon, 21, is all too familiar with.

She said: “In the morning you need to come very early to park your car otherwise you never get a chance of parking close to the university.

“Now I have a quick break between lessons and I have to come out here to move my car into a different bay or risk a fine, the problem is that there are so few spaces it can take a while.”

In response to these complaints, Kingston Borough Council Parking Services Officer, Phil Hoare said: “If we offered parking permits to commuting students, then it would be expected that other commuters should be given them. 

“Kingston town centre is a place of substantial employment and commuter parking permits would not be sustainable given the finite amount of parking space on street.”  

No on-site parking is available for students at Penrhyn Road, with the university claiming the measure is in place to ensure the areas surrounding the campus are free from congestion.

A university spokesperson said: “It is KU’s policy to reduce private car travel to its sites, particularly since it is located in a borough that suffers from regular traffic congestion, and both students and staff are actively encouraged to make use of alternative methods of transport.

“The University is near to both Kingston and Surbiton train stations. Students can also make use of the University’s free inter-campus bus service, which collects passengers every 15 to 20 minutes.”