Auckland University union president says parking price hikes will be bad for students

The president of Aotearoa's largest student association says Auckland Transport's plans to hike parking prices will cause "massive problems" for students.

In the first region-wide change to parking prices since AT began in 2010, managed and on-street carparks will increase by $1 an hour.

The changes will take effect next week.

Alan Shaker, Auckland University Students' Association president, told AM that $1 an hour ends up being a lot of money for daily parking.

"I know a lot of students on average spend 10 to 12 hours a day at uni, and if you add that over the week - that's an extra $60 to $70 a week."

He took a swipe at public transport in Tāmaki Makaurau too, adding "it's not affordable, not reliable".

It comes as AT and Fullers are at odds, following months of mass cancellations of Fuller360 services earlier this year.

Fullers will no longer serve the route of Birkenhead, Te Ōnewa Northcote Point, and Bayswater from October, due to severe staff shortages.

The company will also reduce its services to Whangaparāoa/Gulf Harbour, and Half Moon Bay over the next 14 to 18 months.

AT is trying to find a replacement operator.

But Shaker says in the meantime it's a big problem for students.

"Students that live out in East Auckland, there's just no reliable public transport for them to get in. So they have to drive in. This is going to cause massive problems for them."

Last Wednesday, AT announced that its bus driver shortage was officially over - filling more than 578 roles since the start of this year.

But for students who have staggered classes at university, driving into the city makes more sense.

Some students won't come at all with the parking price increase, Shaker told AM.

"You might have a 9am class and then a 5pm class, with nothing in between. So a student might come at 9am and then go home," he said.

Public transport should be working properly first, he added.

"We can't just hike parking prices and get people off cars if we don't have a reliable public transport system."

"It's a cost of living crisis everywhere, but I think students bear the brunt of that."

AT executive manager of service delivery Andrew Allen said in a statement Monday the new parking charges would be better aligned to public transport charges.

"We have had strong feedback from many Aucklanders that if we are reviewing the cost of our public transport fares each year, we should be doing the same for our parking charges," said Allen.

"These changes are also consistent with Auckland Transport's Room to Move strategy which outlines how Auckland's management of parking can help improve the efficiency of our roads, while keeping parking options available for Aucklanders who need them.

Allen said extra revenue gathered will go towards AT's operating expenses, including running the public transport network and road safety programmes.