Dundee University has taken almost £1.5 million in parking fees in the last three years.
Incomes generated from the institution’s pay-as-you-go and permit pass car parks totalled £1,400,820 since April 2014 to December of last year, according to figures obtained by The Courier under the freedom of information act.
A further £52,640 has been generated from fines handed to drivers who have broken the university’s parking rules, by either not paying for an initial ticket or not having a valid pass.
The university said all the income generated from fines and parking charges is put back into the campus services budget, which allows them to invest in more environmentally friendly initiatives such as low-energy vehicles and bicycle shelters.
Since April 2014, the university’s campus services team – which includes a full-time parking warden – has issued 7,274 fines.
Of these fines, more than half – 3,917 – remain unpaid.
The university notes it will try to recover unpaid fines through “internal measures”, debt collectors, or through the Scottish Courts.
The university owns and operates 15 separate car parks across its estate, which offer 769 parking spaces.
Seventy designated disabled-access only bays are also available, according to figures.
An annual permit for staff costs £300 for those on pay grades 1-8 and £350 for those on a grade 9 or above.
The pay-as-you-go permit has an initial cost of £25, with an additional cost of 95p for the first two hours in a space, £1.85 for two to five hours in a space and £2.80 for five to nine hours in a space.
Parking in university spaces without a valid permit will result in a fine of £30 per day, according to the institution’s parking regulations.
A spokesman for Dundee University said: “We always look to balance the needs of the university community with our responsibility to promote sustainable transport and have no plans to create more parking spaces at this time.
“Our lift share scheme which encourages employees to share car journeys, is the leading such initiative within Scottish higher education.
“We have bike and electric van and car pools for staff use while Dundee was last year named as being the most sustainable cycle-friendly campus by Cycling Scotland.
“A full-time traffic warden and campus security officers issue penalty notices when cars are parked either incorrectly or without a permit.
“All revenue from permits and fines contributes to the campus services budget, which helps fund initiatives such as low-energy vehicles, bicycle shelters and lockers, and future investment in smart parking.”
