Drivers face new 'parking tax' if they drive to work in the UK

Drivers could face a new parking tax this week as a major UK city looks to slash traffic and pollution. A new law was introduced from the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 giving councils in Scotland the ability to introduce a Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) in their local area or part of their local area if it decides to.

Edinburgh will charge employers and education organisations for the number of parking places they provide that employees and students regularly use under the scheme. The fees will be in the form of a yearly charge to obtain a licence, but employers who are caught without one can face hefty fines from Edinburgh City Council.

The council website detailed: “For businesses the cost of congestion impacts business by extending journey times, later deliveries, and increasing worker time on the road rather than in productive work. For residents and commuters, congestion increases journey times, whether they travel by car or some modes of public transport and active travel.

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“Congestion has an impact on air quality. Studies have linked small particles from road traffic to the cause of a variety of health effects including heart and lung disease, links to premature death, diabetes, dementia, mental health and birth outcomes.”

Official documents stated: “No such funding currently exists for the next of future stages of introducing a WPL, and that the next immediate costs would have to come from reserves at a time of huge strain on public finances and likely further cuts from the Scottish Government.”

The council did suggest the tax would offer “considerable benefits” to the city, including the City Mobility Plan which aims to reduce the amount of cars on the road by 30 per cent by the end of the decade. The council added: “We must continue to focus on effective measures which can encourage a shift from private car use towards more sustainable modes of travel.

“Following the commencement of new powers for local authorities to introduce a WPL, it was right that the council undertook an open public consultation so residents, commuters, and businesses could express their views, and thanks those who responded.”