Nagesh Rao, chair of the Student Motor Vehicle Court, is attacking the campus parking problem from a different angle: Cracking down on unregistered vehicle parking in spaces that require permits.
His plan calls for stiffer penalties against vehicles found parked in campus spaces without the correct permits, with even tougher fines for repeat offenders.
“It’s really just giving a fair share to everyone,” Rao said.
First-time offenders will be ticketed and fined as they are now. The fine for unregistered parking is currently $31, though this may be increased in the near future.
The second offence will also incur the fine. In addition, the vehicle will be entered into the system and registered for a permit. The driver will be required to pay the $63 registration fee.
After the vehicle is registered, the driver will be required to go to the parking office and complete the registration forms to receive a permit; otherwise, subsequent parking offences will incur a $31 fine for failure to display a permit.
Rao also plans to crack down on illegal parking in fire lanes and handicap spaces.
He is currently looking for more input from student body groups as he prepares the formal proposal document that will be presented to the Parking Review Board.
Once the proposal gets the Review Board’s approval, Rao says he plans to begin implementing the new rules right away.
“This has been the first year that I’ve gotten full support from the Review Board and the J-Board,” he said.
He estimated that 40 to 50 percent of the tickets he sees are unregistered vehicle tickets, and that 60 to 70 percent of those are repeat offenders. He hopes to cut back on these numbers as the construction projects approach.
“We’re going to lose a lot of spaces,” he said. “Students are going to have to be patient.”
