8 River The
Friday March 4 - Thursday March 17 2011
Until Sat 26 Mar
NEWS
Bedlam at the bus stop OLIVER PELLING K0713801
HHHH
A GENUINE LAUGHTERPACKED DELIGHT...
A TRIUMPH Evening Standard
SLICK, ENERGETIC... JUST AS WE LIKE IT The Stage
FABULOUS
PRODUCTION Time and Leisure
ASWILLIAMYOUSHAKESPEARE LIKE IT
BY DIRECTED BY STEPHEN UNWIN A Rose Theatre Production in association with Kingston University
0871 230 1552 rosetheatrekingston.org
RESIDENTS living near the Penrhyn Road campus have criticised Kingston students for “unruly” and “aggressive” behaviour. According to the university, several local people have complained that students regularly display unacceptable behaviour at the bus stop outside the campus. “This behaviour includes pushing and shoving and not allowing other people to pass or board the buses,” said Hema Kukadia, KU community enquiries and complaints officer in an annoucement on StudySpace. Ms Kukadia stressed that it is important for students to remember that the buses are used by other members of the public, including the elderly, the disabled and young children. “Please be considerate of their needs and remember that even simple high spir-
Late night party-goers get a free ride home OLIVIA HEATH K0816568 KINGSTON students spilling out of clubs and bars will be able to get dropped off at their halls of residence with a free night time bus service. The scheme, called Operation Skyp, which began two weeks ago, is a police initiative designed to create a safer Kingston for young people. Sergeant James Waddington, of Kingston’s safer transport team, said: “One of our main issues is safety of students left out at night and getting themselves into vulnerable positions, drinking and taking unlicensed minicabs.” The bus will pick students up outside the Hippodrome in Brook Street, and will serve all the halls of residence, including Seething Wells, Clay Hill, Knights Park and Kingston Hill. The bus company, Tellings Golden Miller, runs the single decker buses every half an hour between midnight and 4am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights.
A calm scene at the Penrhyn Road bus stop, but its not always this quiet.
its and rushing to get on to buses could be intimidating to other people.” One local man, however, has taken it upon himself to defend the students. Tim Hopkirk, who has lived on Grove Crescent – the closest residential road to the bus stop – for over 10 years said: “I think a lot of the complaints will be from grumpy local busybodies who don’t really have much else to do, and probably dislike young people on the
whole.” Mr Hopkirk, whose two daughters study at Kingston, said he thinks the university does a very good job of ensuring students are well behaved when they’re out in public. “I work from home and have not noticed any aggressive behaviour from students over the years.” Mr Hopkirk acknowledged that the bus stop does get busy at peak periods, but made it clear that the probADVERTISEMENT
lem is born out of poorly thought-out facilities, rather than rowdy students. “I think it is more of a logistical problem as opposed to anything the students can really help,” he said. Despite Mr Hopkirk’s defence of KU students, another resident has complained about noisy and “inconsiderate” students leaving the nearby Student Union bar in the small hours. Ben Smith, who works for a health insurance firm in the city said: “There are definitely cases of loud, offensive behaviour on Penrhyn Road and behind the university on Grove Crescent.” Mr Smith stated that he was often awoken in the early hours of the morning by disruptive students leaving the Student Union bar. “It is sadly inconsiderate.,” he said. You must raise awareness of local residents who need to sleep for early morning starts and stressful days at work.”