Plans to introduce a tax on parking at work risk undermining Scotland’s green ambitions by reducing the number of electric cars on the roads, according to motorist groups.
The “workplace parking levy” would require employers to apply for a licence for the on-site parking spaces they provide staff, the cost of which would be decided by the number of spaces.
Edinburgh and Glasgow have expressed interest in the scheme, which is only used in Nottingham, where firms have to pay almost £500 for every space they have in their car parks. Many pass at least some of the costs on to staff.
There will not be a national cap on charges, which has led to suggestions that businesses and staff could end up paying up to £1,000 per parking space.
Since March 4 councils can impose the levy, which aims to cut car use, after new legislation came into force.
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Road transport makes up just under 70 per cent of transport-related greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland.
Neil Greig, director of policy at the Institute of Advanced Motorists, said the failure to exempt electric cars from the scheme may discourage drivers from switching to them. He said: “It’s a short-sighted policy. If they did exempt private vehicles, it would be another incentive for people to switch to cleaner vehicles. We need to have more electric cars to improve air quality.”
One in seven new cars sold in Scotland are fully electric, figures suggest.
Greig described the new tax scheme as a “blunt instrument” and said it was unfair that employers can choose whether to absorb its cost or pass it on.
He also said that it failed to differentiate between car owners who drive because they have no access to public transport, and those who choose to drive despite public transport options.
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Expanded park and ride sites, cheaper bus fares and more trams would be better ways to get people out of cars and on to public transport, Greig argued.
Previous criticisms of the policy have come from politicians and policy experts who have warned that the levy will leave the poorest Scots even more vulnerable to the cost-of-living crisis.
Anna Richardson, Glasgow council’s city convener for sustainability and carbon reduction, said: “A workplace parking licensing scheme is intended to incentivise a shift to more sustainable forms of transport, as well as providing a funding stream to support investment to improve these alternatives.
“It would help to support our commitments to reducing car journeys, and making public transport and active travel more affordable and convenient for residents and visitors.
“Glasgow’s new transport strategy commits us to developing a Workplace Parking Licensing feasibility study and business case. This will provide more clarity on how a scheme could work.”
