The regulation means drivers with a disability will be forced to drive hundreds of metres to buy a ticket from the nearest machine on Circular Road, before returning to the library to park their car.

Student Sue Hatton said it was confusing for people wanting to park in the designated disabled spots or in drop-off parking areas on Library Road.

"There are no signs warning you about the fee, until you get to the disabled parking," Ms Hatton said.

"By then it is too late and you have [to] drive back out of Library Road, and up Circular Road to the main campus where there is a ticket machine. When you get back there might not be a car park.

"It is an aggravation for drivers."

Ms Hatton questioned why the university was trying to make money at the expense of students when they planned to shut the campus.

David Abela, co-ordinator of Sunbury Advocacy Group for people with a disability, said he didn't think it was VU's intention to make life difficult, "but sometimes large organisations fail to think things through".

"It defeats the purpose of allowing people with a disability easy access to facilities."

VU facilities director Gary Carter said the use of machine parking tickets was one of four ways to pay for disabled parking.

Besides the machines, there were daily 'scratchie' tickets and annual permits and a new 'A permit' that can be bought in bulk and in advance for drivers with a disability.

Mr Carter said a parking review in March had found a need for student and staff disabled parking permit holders to share parking, rather than have segregated lots.

VU parking tickets and permits cost $2 a day, or $300 a year.

Mr Carter said the policy applied to all VU campuses and had been endorsed by a representative from the VU Student Equity and Disability group.

VU decided in October to shut the Sunbury campus.