Labour-run councils will not impose parking levy, party confirms

Scottish Labour-run councils will not impose workplace parking levy charges on commuters, the party has pledged.

The levy scheme allows local authorities to charge businesses for providing parking, and it could lead to the fee being passed down to employees.

Councils will be able to choose whether to introduce the tax, but Labour has now confirmed its councillors will oppose it.

That is despite the party’s 2017 local election manifesto in Glasgow and Edinburgh floating the possibility of a workplace parking levy.

Where the scheme is operated, employers will be required to apply for a licence to supply on-site parking and the cost will be estimated on the number of spaces available.

It is designed to reduce the number of car journeys as the Scottish Government aims to reach a target of cutting car trips by a fifth in the next eight years.

However concerns have been raised over the costs as there is no cap on how much local authorities can charge individual businesses.

Neil Bibby, Scottish Labour’s transport spokesperson, hit out at the introduction of the scheme, which was approved by Parliament earlier this year.

In its local manifestos, the SNP in Edinburgh promises to introduce the tax, while in Glasgow the party said it will “develop a business case” for imposing the levy.

Mr Bibby said: “Workers across Scotland are struggling to make ends meet and now the SNP want to pour fuel on the fire by making workers cough up hundreds of pounds for the privilege of going to work.

“The SNP leadership must disavow the pledges made in Edinburgh and Glasgow and give a cast-iron commitment that none of their councils will plough ahead with these reckless plans.

“If they fail to rule this out it would be a gross betrayal of the worst off and a dereliction of duty during a cost-of-living crisis.

“This scheme is a pathetic attempt to pass the buck for tackling the climate emergency on to workers, after years of failure from the SNP.

“It is jaw-dropping hypocrisy to make low-paid workers pick up the tab while they run Scotland’s green public transport into the ground.

“No Scottish Labour councils will implement this damaging scheme – instead, we will fight for capped bus fares, cheaper rail fares and a joined-up public transport system that gets you where you need to go.”

The Scottish Conservative manifesto for last year’s Holyrood election suggested that councils should lead reviews on shifting travel plans.

Tory MSPs opposed the introduction of the parking levy at Holyrood.

Similar schemes have been operating in England for the last decade.