Different ways to travel to Marjon

Liftshare 🚐

Travelling can feel restricted in Devon if you don’t have a car, and let’s face it, public transport can sometimes be difficult, but there is another option that doesn’t involve bussing it or spending half your loan on a vehicle.

Lift sharing has been around for a while but took a bit of a blow during Covid. However, now, it’s fully operational, and people are saving hundreds of pounds a year at the click of a button. Car Share Devon is easy to use and helps you find lifts with people in your local area. You can select one-off or regular journeys and request lifts or offer them yourself. Select your journey’s starting point and destination, and select the date and time. If you are considering making a regular commute, you can add the days of the week you are searching for.

The good thing about Car Share Devon is that you can click on other users’ profiles, see a picture of them and send them messages beforehand to agree on a donation for fuel. Sometimes people might not want much money and are just happy to help and save the planet. If you offer a lift and want to make sure you aren’t out of pocket, you can set the donation contribution via the website.

Car Share Devon also calculates how much CO2 you’ll be saving the planet. In the case of my journey from Totnes (which is a 24-mile journey), 1.54 tonnes in annual CO2 admissions would be saved. Or the equivalent of 68 trees! You can also see how much money you are saving. On the same 24-mile journey from Totnes to Marjon, I would save £835 a year.

Tip: this site isn’t just for people commuting from outside of Plymouth. You can also search for regular journeys within Plymouth, saving you money and reducing congestion on the road!

Cycling 🚲

As someone who has studied at Marjon but never lived in Plymouth, commuting was tricky for me. I wish I had found Car Share Devon sooner, but in my last year, I travelled by train from Totnes to Plymouth and then cycled into Marjon. I kept my bicycle at Plymouth Railway Station.

Tip: You can lock your bike on platform 4 from within the station, so there’s no chance of it getting stolen.

Having been a Deliveroo rider in the past, I was fairly confident on the roads. However, I wouldn’t recommend this cycle if you don’t like hills or get spooked by traffic. That said, the new electric Beryl Bikes are a lot easier and a lot sturdier than traditional push bikes. Just make sure you wear a helmet! There are now 125 Beryl Bikes in Plymouth (with more on the way) and a new charging dock at Marjon. They also enable you to arrive at Uni fresh and ready for the day. You could get from the city centre to Marjon on one of these in 15 minutes, costing you £3.25.

Tip: If you still want to use a traditional push bike, Marjon has showers in the sports centre building and the HDC block.

The green arrow marks the end of the first section of this cycle. This first section is good, you can cycle through central park, and it feels very safe. The red arrow marks the end of the second section. The second section does have cycle lanes, but it doesn’t always feel like there is much distance between you and the cars. Make sure you are visible and wear a helmet.

Rent an Electric Car 🚗

Electric cars are becoming more common these days. Now, thanks to Co Cars, you can hire them in Plymouth. Realistically this may not be the cheapest way to commute if you do it every day; however, it provides a viable alternative to owning a car, especially if you only need to travel to Uni a couple of days a week. Prices start from just £6.25 per hour, plus mileage. You need to pay an upfront annual membership of £38 a year.

Tip: an annual Co Cars membership is half the price of an annual parking permit at Marjon.

Walking 🚶

Depending on how far you live, walking may be the best option for you. Consider swapping the running machine for fresh air. This could be the cheapest and healthiest option. You could even record it on your Strava and compete with your friends!

Public Transport 🚌

If the above options don’t appeal to you, several public transport options are available.

Stagecoach 

Stagecoach provides Marjon students and staff with discounted bus tickets through their app. They grant a 20% discount on various ticket options, with the subsidy being covered by Marjon. You have the option to purchase 7-day and 28-day tickets. To begin, follow these six steps: 

Plymouth Citybus

Citybus offers a 15% discount on same-day ticket purchases for those with a valid UniDays student card. If you purchase tickets through the app, you can apply the discount by using the code STUDENT21. For additional information, please refer to the following link: https://www.plymouthbus.co.uk/schools-colleges-and-nhs-discounts

That’s it for green travel options. Improvements has always been made at Marjon, and with the new electric vehicles we can expect to see less cars on the road, reducing congestion, air pollution and making the streets cleaner! Do get in touch if you need clarification or are interested in green ways to travel by emailing sustainability@marjon.ac.uk or the Welcome Desk will also be able to help!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter to keep up-to-date!

Post authored by:
Oscar Lindsey-Turner
Sustainability Ambassador
Plymouth Marjon University