The SNP will charge travelers entering Edinburgh and equalize the on-site parking fee for some of the capital’s largest companies if the party is re-elected next month.
In a key promise for the local elections, the party wants to charge drivers who travel to work entering the city limits at peak hours to reduce traffic and encourage more workers to enter Edinburgh by public transport.
Separate on-the-job parking fee plans will provide for 200 companies with more than 50 seats to be charged around £ 500 a year on the spot, with the exception of hospitals and medical facilities – amounting to a £ 2 fee per working day on site.
Opponents have criticized the plans as a “double blow to workers” – fears the strategy could be implemented in some of Scotland’s other major cities, such as Glasgow, amid promises to reduce traffic and achieve zero goals.
In 2005, Edinburgh residents voted in a referendum to reject plans for a congestion zone that would charge motorists £ 2 a day – with fines of up to £ 60 for those who do not pay. The traffic jam in London imposes a daily fee of £ 15, but does not cover the whole city.
READ MORE: SNP promises to extend trams in Edinburgh if re-elected in the capital
Council leader Adam McVeigh has vowed to pursue the policy during the council’s next term if the SNP is returned to power in Edinburgh.
He told The Herald that “too many cars coming from the Edinburgh region” is “a rough truth we have to live with and have to deal with”.
He added: “We have proposed a very reasonable measure, which is a tax on people who come at peak hours, with the exception of things like hospital visits and healthcare, because we recognize that Edinburgh has some good regional facilities.
“In principle, this will not apply to Edinburgh residents who pay taxes. We must be sure that when residents have to go around our city, they can go around our city.
Funds raised from the congestion zone will be reinvested to improve public transport systems on a regional basis, including parking and driving facilities and better opportunities for public and active transport.
Mr McVeigh said: “This will only work during peak hours to try to ensure that congestion is what we are trying to deal with and focus on.”
“People who have to drive around the city will be able to do it easier, transport will be easier to move and this will make it much more attractive for people to use these alternatives to public transport.”
READ MORE: SNP government to investigate non-car pricing to reduce carbon emissions
The SNP government is committed to reducing car travel by 20 percent by 2030 – while politicians in Edinburgh and Glasgow have pledged to create cities with zero net worth over the same period.
But Mr McVeigh acknowledged that “we need to make it more accessible and easier” for Fife and Lothian travelers to use public transport to travel to Edinburgh.
The Scottish Government is facing criticism of plans to allow councils to introduce a workplace parking fee, which will impose a parking fee on cars.
SNP leaders in Edinburgh have promised to deploy the scheme in 200 companies – and hope to introduce measures to ensure that the levy is not passed on from employers to workers.
Mr McVeigh said: “The only companies that will pay for it are the 200 largest companies in the city – these are just companies that have 50 or more parking spaces.
“We will also look at how to stop companies from passing on these fees to employees in the context of policy implementation.
“What we want is for the companies themselves to participate in the process with their employees in a supportive way to enable their employees to make the right choices.”
He added: “We exempt things like hospitals and medical centers from it, so they will not be charged.
“Even at this rate, we will still raise around £ 10 million a year.
“This is a significant amount of money to invest in strengthening public transport in the city and strengthening the implementation of our transport plans.”
The on-the-job parking fee is expected to cost around £ 450 to £ 550 per year per parking space subject to the fee – around £ 2 per working day.
READ MORE: Workplace parking fee plans could be scrutinized by ministers amid business concerns
Workplace parking fee plans have been heavily criticized by industry leaders, with Scottish chambers of commerce warning that “businesses do not believe they face even greater business costs just as the economy begins to recover from Covid’s impact. – 19 ”.
Scottish Conservatives have also spoken out against the plans, calling for a rethink of congestion charge proposals.
Scottish Conservative Lothian MSP and shadow local government secretary Miles Briggs said: “The SNP’s war against motorists seems boundless. Not only do they want to hit workers for just driving to work, but they increase the chance even more.
“The tax on travel to work would be a potential double blow for workers who rely on their cars to come to Edinburgh because of where they live or poor public transport links.”
He added: “Obviously, the Greens’ views affect the SNP the longer they are in a coalition together.
“Only Scottish Conservatives can be trusted to stand up for drivers against such SNP plans to impose more taxes, which will only hit hard-working people and damage our recovery.
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