Drivers face work car park charges

[fishtank]

Drivers face work car park charges
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Councils across the country are pushing ahead with plans to charge for parking at workplaces, it has emerged.

Authorities including Bristol, York, Devon, Hampshire, Leeds, Bournemouth, South Somerset and Wiltshire are considering introducing levies in an effort to raise funds and cut congestion, according to the Daily Telegraph.

The news comes despite ministers pledging to end what they described as Labour's "war on motorists" within days of coming to power.

An estimated 10 million people drive to work every day, and they could potentially face fees of hundreds of pounds a year each.

Nottingham City Council is due to be the first council to impose a levy, with all employers offering more than 11 spaces for staff charged £250 for each one. It will be up to companies whether they pass the cost on. In a draft strategy, Bristol City Council describes the levy as a "revenue stream" to help fund other transport initiatives.

Under proposals being considered by York City Council, the charge would be paid "by the employer or charged to the employee". In Leeds, officials view the levy as an "important consideration in formulating a long-term strategy".

A Hampshire County Council consultation document says it is considering a "modest" - but unspecified - charge for the south of the region, including Southampton and Portsmouth, to "redress the imbalance between free commuter parking for some staff at office complexes" and "parking for other staff in public spaces where payment is required".

A spokesman for South Somerset District Council said: "Looking at reducing car travel to offices is something we are required to do, and the possibility of introducing some form of parking levy is one of many ideas that have been floated within our council."

In London, a number of councils are said to be attending a seminar next month that has a workplace parking levy on the agenda. Authorities in Milton Keynes, Cambridge and Oxford have all previously expressed an interest.

Hilary Holden, an analyst with planning consultancy Arup, said the Government's squeeze on town hall budgets was pushing parking levies "way up the agenda".

[Stormproof]

Why am I not surprised at this article. Lets switch off the speed cameras and charge everyone to go to work.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

I wonder if we will see a decline in PCODs in Bristol, York, Devon, Hampshire, Leeds, Bournemouth, South Somerset and Wiltshire will be interesting watch people decide if that extra 1 hour of finishing early is really worth the extra costs now.

[fishtank]

I wonder if we will see a decline in PCODs in Bristol, York, Devon, Hampshire, Leeds, Bournemouth, South Somerset and Wiltshire will be interesting watch people decide if that extra 1 hour of finishing early is really worth the extra costs now.

I think if this goes ahead Royal Mail will be faced with a stark choice as it would appear that the charge will be levied on parking spaces available for employees rather than individual use so there may be no choice.
Expect a push on overnight retention of vans then.

[NWpostie]

Its a short sighted naked cash grab, we are already paying for the road through our car tax, the local authorities have no power to tax cars as far as I am aware, if they do push ahead with this, it will force relocation of businesses and create a ghost town, if I was an empoyer I would consider that or an employee looking for a company that is out of town.

Town Halls will only shoot themselves in the foot over this.

[DGP1]

What would happen if RM did charge employees to park at work? Do you get you name painting onto the spot and get to clamp anyone who parks illegally in your space

[plainpat]

RM might have been able to apply at one time for exemption on the grounds that the majority of it's work force start before public transport is running ......

Scuppered by the new times of working they want to bring in

[andy2007]

Why am I not surprised at this article. Lets switch off the speed cameras and charge everyone to go to work.

More importantly, that means charging everyone to go to work. Not just the dangerous p***ks who drive too fast! What they SHOULD have done, is start using mobile cameras, stop telling the camera detector companies where they'll be. And most importantly, change the penalty from 3 points and a fine, to 6 points, with no fine! That way, people couldn't accuse them of using the cameras to raise money. And more importantly, it'd get the idiots off the roads, making them safer for the rest of us! By getting rid of the cameras, they're admiting that they WERE using them to raise money. Instead of using them to make the roads safer.