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4.7 Cars, Parking and Driving

Parking facilities at the College are very restricted and in most cases, students who are living in Residence Halls or within one mile of the College are not permitted to have cars at the College. None of the Halls on the main campus allow resident students to have parking permits and students who live in these HAlls may not bring a car to the locality at all. Students living in Halls located away from the main campus such as Kingswood Hall and North A30 properties do allow residents to park at the Hall, but not on the main campus. Students who are entitled to use a car on campus, normally disabled students and those living more than 1.5 mile away, must register their vehicle with the College and display a student car parking permit at all times. Car parking permits may be obtained in Founder's East 37.

Driving

To drive any car in Britain you must have a valid driving licence and insurance cover. During your first year in the UK your own overseas driving licence or International Driving Permit will qualify you to drive here. If this expires during the year, it must be renewed in your own country, or you can take the British driving test and qualify for a British driving licence. If you come from a European Union country you can exchange your licence for a British Driving Licence.

After a year, if you have not passed the British Driving Test or exchanged your Licence, you will have to revert to 'learner' driver status. You must then apply for a provisional British licence and you will no longer be able to drive without supervision from a licensed driver. Full details about the British Driving Test are available from the Post Office or from the DVLA website.

If you wish to buy a car whilst you are at the College, note that all car owners must pay an annual road tax. In addition, cars more than 3 years old must also be inspected on an annual basis by a garage to ensure roadworthiness. This is known as an 'M.O.T.' inspection. British law also requires that all drivers have car insurance for their vehicles.

Remember that it is compulsory for the occupants of a car to wear seat belts in the UK.

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