SCOTLAND
Scottish Public Servants could be facing a bill of at least £5 million (A$9 million) under plans to introduce a new workplace parking tax.
Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament Jackie Baillie used Freedom of Information laws to uncover the figures that show public sector bodies have at least 37,082 parking spaces, of which 10,764 are exclusively available to workers.
If each of these worker-only spaces is charged at £417 (A$757) — the amount employers in the English city of Nottingham pay — the figure of around £5 million is arrived at.
Ms Baillie said the workplace parking levy had been sold as a new revenue stream to fund struggling public services.
“In reality, it will hit public sector budgets for £5 million they simply don’t have,” Ms Baillie said.
“When cash-strapped public bodies are handed the bill, it’s more than likely that — like other employers hit by the car park tax — they will pass it on to their workers.”
The controversial proposals, which are part of a wide-ranging Transport Bill, followed a last-minute deal between the Scottish National Party Government and the Scottish Greens.
In Nottingham, the tax is charged to employers with 11 or more spaces and they can choose to pass it on to their staff, with many doing so.
A Government spokesperson said the workplace parking levy was a power for Local Authorities.
“There is no requirement to introduce it and Local Authorities have wide discretion to apply exemptions as they see fit,” the spokesperson said.
Edinburgh, 7 October 2019
