New Enforced “£250″ Tax Unveiled to Park at Work
Motorists who drive to work will have to pay a £250 parking tax under a Government scheme to be announced today.
Firms employing 11 or more staff who park their cars in company bays will be charged for each space.
The scheme, which has been condemned by critics as a ‘tax on jobs’, will initially charge £250 per space but the cost could rise to £350 within two years.
It is being pioneered in Nottingham which will introduce it in 2012 but other city councils are expected to follow suit.
Local authorities in Milton Keynes, Exeter, Cambridge and Oxford have expressed interest in the charge as well as the Core Cities Group, which represents Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle and Sheffield.
The scheme is expected to endorsed today by Transport Minister Sadiq Khan during a visit to Nottingham.
An estimated 500 firms in the city face being hit by the levy which will be enforced by CCTV cameras, spot checks and number-plate recognition systems.
But critics claim the scheme is unfair and penalises shift workers who rely on cars when public transport is unavailable at night.
A spokesman for the AA said: ‘It is discriminating against those employers who have parking spaces, which gets vehicles off the street.
‘These tariffs apply around the clock, which is especially unfair on shift workers who rely on their cars because public transport is not available.
‘This is more about generating a revenue stream than reducing congestion and will require snooping to enforce it properly.’
Theresa Villiers, the Tory transport spokesman, accused the Government of hitting businesses with yet more taxes.
‘At a time when jobs are under threat and businesses are under huge pressure, it is wrong to hit enterprise in Nottingham with a workplace parking levy,’ she said.
‘These new charges will be a real blow to the city and we oppose them.’
Nottingham council estimates the charge will raise £5.6million in the first year and the money has been earmarked for new tram and bus routes as well as a refurbishment of the main train station.
But environmental groups have welcomed the move.
Richard Hebditch, of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: ‘It has the added benefit of tackling unnecessary commuter journeys, one of the main causes of congestion.
‘Failing to deal with the causes of congestion is simply not an option.
‘We put forward the idea of workplace parking levies as a fairer way to raise money to invest in the future of local transport services. We are pleased that the people of Nottingham will be the first to benefit.’
A Department for Transport spokesman confirmed that an announcement would be expected ‘soon’.
He said it was ‘entirely for local authorities to decide what measures are appropriate’ for improving transport and tackling congestion in their area.
‘Workplace parking levy schemes may be introduced only if they will contribute to the achievement of local transport policies, and all revenues must be reinvested in local transport.’
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