All top universities in Britain are being called upon by a campaign from local residents to ban students from bringing their cars to school.
The residents near the University of Exeter are fed-up of the 'cluttered streets' due to the cars of the school's students. So, they called upon the leaders of the university hoping that they would enforce a ban. The campaign is not only limited to a campus ban. The residents want to ban the cars anywhere in the city.
The campaign has been backed up by civic leaders. The local newspapers, the Express and Echo, launched the petition calling the University of Exeter to follow the lead of the universities in Nottingham and Cambridge. Both schools have already banned cars and improved road safety. They have also improved the relations between students and the local residents, the Telegraph reported.
Nottingham and Cambridge banned students within 10 to 25 mile radius from owning a car, unless there is a medical need for the student. Cambridge University imposes fine to rule breakers. The fine amounts up to £175.
The University of Exeter bans parking of student's vehicle inside the school campus but not bans students from bringing cars. This led to a situation where the cars are parked in the streets which caused the roadway to be cluttered.
The school is among the top 10 of the best schools in Britain. The petition says that it should be strong enough, with its current rank, to impose a ban on the students. The ban would reduce the overall heaviness of traffic in Exeter.
A university spokesman explained that they encourage the students to use other means of transport which is more sustainable. Furthermore he said that only 12 per cent of the students in the University of Exeter bring cars to school.
Peter Holland, a local councilor, said that the students should not be offered any place unless they promise to leave their vehicles at home, Schools Improvement reported.
