The introduction of an inconsiderate GHC500 monthly premium car park fee by the management of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, (GIMPA) has received stiff opposition from some sections of the student body.
A letter issued on March 14th, 2022, and signed by the Director of Estate and Municipal services, Mr. Lawrence Avevor, put students on notice of the new car parking protocols being implemented by the school.
According to the communique, the parking space now earmarked as premium will include all parking spaces around the GIMPA Law faculty, business school, and other faculties.
The only free space will be the parking space heading towards the main gate of the school.
It requires that students who are unable to subscribe to the GHC500.00 a semester (GH1000 per academic year) for premium parking will have to park at the main gate and walk to their various faculties and classrooms.
Many students especially in the GIMPA law faculty have expressed their disappointment and opposition to the new arrangement by the School.
In an iPetition by concerned students of the GIMPA Law Faculty and sighted by AmaGhana Online, the law students expressed their displeasure.
Here are some of the concerns raised in the petition:
“The imposition of a GH500 premium parking service translates into an approximate cost of GHS7.4 parking fee per school day, GH1000 parking fee per academic year or GH1,500 when three semesters are run within a year (a case in point is the 2021 Year). We find this rate as outrageous and excessive to already overburdened law students of GIMPA.
The Law Faculty parking space is designed purposely for the faculty, law students, and other users of the building. Parking, therefore must be on a first-come-first-served basis and not on a ‘premium-rate’ basis.
The lack of pedestrian pathways leading to the faculty poses a high-security risk to the safety of the students who would have to walk to the faculty.
This risk is further heightened at night or dawn due to the poor lighting systems on the roads and in the car parks on the campus” the ipetition stated. The petition also witnessed much support from the law students of the school.
I believe the GH500 is unfair, especially for law students. The parking at the law faculty should be a first-come, first-serve basis. GHC500 semester fee for parking is too much considering the fees we are paying.
During the Covid era, a petition was made for a rebate of the fees since we didn’t make use of the classroom and other amenities. The school is yet to refund or honor this petition. Students cannot receive a double slap by paying GH500 for parking.
The fees we are paying at GIMPA is not cheap for us to pay for parking. This is clear extortion and the administration must reconsider this decision.
…..I support this petition absolutely. The new proposed parking charge is outrageous. It is only fair that students be allowed to park for the few hours they’ll be on campus for lectures without unnecessary financial burden. How can we pay such exorbitant fees and also pay for parking it’s not as if our spots will be reserved with our names. We are already suffering in this economy.
Cars that we pay fuel into to make our coming to class easier you want to strip that away from us too “Charging students of the faculty to park their cars at the faculty car park is simply fraudulent after taking all these fees!
Otherwise, they must provide free shuttle services for those of us who will park at the main car park far away from the entrance, who cannot walk that distance due to health issues I think providing parking space for students is more of customer service than a privilege. GIMPA could do better.”
Below is the notice of the new parking protocols at GIMPA:
