Wolverhampton University students protest over axing of free bus service.
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00:00Wessonstar.com outside the University of Wolverhampton campus, the main campus where
00:06students and representatives of students are gathering to make their feelings known over the
00:11acting of free bus service travel between sites. It's on the day of an open day welcoming new
00:18students, potential new students, to the University of Wolverhampton and they've chosen this day
00:26to give them that information if they didn't have it already. Now Naomi, Naomi Glynn, has been at
00:31the forefront of this campaign. You've just completed your first year at the University.
00:39Yep, I'm going into my final year in September so I rely on the public transport, well not the
00:46public transport sorry, the campus bus to get me to and from uni. I've actually had contact with
00:52uni who've given me the price of how much it's going to cost me per month and it's actually £168.90
00:59per month that they're expecting students to pay. They still haven't given me, I've put my
01:04complaint in, I've had no response back to my complaint and they're actually going against
01:09their very own complaint procedure. So you know today is about bringing this to the uni and
01:16challenging them because it's not just myself, it's other students who rely on that means of transport
01:22and some you know who are mothers, who've got disabilities, you know where that journey is just
01:28not feasible. You know there's long commutes, further expenses and particularly for students
01:33who've already been hit by the cost of living, you know it's just not a feasible option and
01:39whenever I've spoken with someone about the uni they're like oh you can pay for this bit of money here
01:43and go through an invasive process of actually having your bank accounts looked at.
01:48Well it's not just about the money side, it's the long commutes which impact our health, our
01:54well-being, our studies and will ultimately cause students to drop out. You know this, for my future
02:00I may not be going back September because I cannot certainly afford to pay this and I know
02:04there's probably an army behind me who agree that this is not realistic. I remember in
02:11the 1990s I think we spoke on the phone, I went to uni and the travel between campuses was free
02:17in the days of full grants and tuition fees paid. Some people might say travel is not that big an
02:25issue as compared to the tuition fees but it all adds up doesn't it as a student. I believe you
02:31live at home at the moment. See I live at home but I still have to pay half the rent, half the water,
02:39half the gas, the electric, half the food. I'm a mature student, I don't get
02:45luxury of living in a wealthy household where I don't have to contribute. My mother's
02:51a single mother, she works, she doesn't get the greatest pay and she can't support me.
02:57So this year alone what I've had to actually do is get a job but this for next year when they,
03:03well not next year, next semester, well not semester, year two, this is going to impact me
03:08because I won't be able to do the hours at my other job just to survive in general
03:13and then at this additional charge it's not realistic. And finally many students visiting
03:18today will be from other areas of the country, they're going to have the cost of rent etc.
03:25Have they been made aware of this and how much it's going to cost them? No, what the university
03:32did on the last open day they were false advertising it, they were still promoting it and
03:37still saying it was part of a feature knowing full well at the end of July that they would
03:41discontinue the service. So they have, people have made their decision just like I did when I came
03:46here on the very basis that there is a campus bus to get me to and from uni. So it's false
03:52advertisement, you know this place is nothing but a business and the fact that they can lie to its
03:57customers who already pay a lot of money to come here is a joke and it's a sham and you shouldn't
04:03be allowed. I'm Toonie Adedipi from the University of Wolverhampton Students Union, I know you're a
04:09bit nervous on camera but I believe you're fully supporting the students on this day of action
04:16today. Definitely, that's why we're here today to make sure we support them, to make sure they feel
04:24like their voice is being heard by us and hopefully the university can do something about this
04:33very soon. Yeah, what would you like to see done? Obviously you'd like to see the buses reinstated.
04:39We want the bus reinstated otherwise they can probably provide an alternative for students
04:47like mini buses, just something to help them get to their lecture rooms in Telford and in
04:56Walsall campus. One issue finally that was brought up was those of the less able-bodied students that
05:03public transport at the moment trains or buses to Telford, Walsall, doesn't go straight to the
05:08campus obviously so they're going to face extra pressure getting there. Yeah, I understand that
05:17and that's why with the sabbatical officers we've had to come out today to make sure to support
05:25this demonstration today. We want our students to be comfortable, to feel safe when traveling
05:32across their campuses so we really want the bus reinstated. Hopefully we'll get something out of
05:39this at the end of the day. Thank you for talking to us today. Thank you Naomi and
05:44there'll be a demonstration until two o'clock this afternoon outside the university.