WORKPLACE parking charges will now be enforceable by law after the Scottish Parliament approved the Transport (Scotland) Bill.
The policy – introduced by the SNP as part of a budget deal with the Greens – will give Scottish councils the power to charge a levy on workplace parking.
Employers can choose to absorb the cost of the parking tax or pass it on to staff, with charges expected to reach hundreds of pounds per year per space.
David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said: “Workplace parking levies are a charter for extra cost and complexity and it is disappointing MSPs are backing them.
“The introduction of a levy will see firms taxed twice for the parking places they provide for staff, on top of the business rates already paid on those spaces. The dearth any business and regulatory impact assessment to accompany the introduction of this new tax is bewildering, and suggests MSPs risk voting for a pig in a poke.”
The Scottish Government said it would be up to local councils to decide whether to introduce the tax, and how much to charge.
