This recent furore over the budget deal between the Government and the Green Party – which may enable councils to introduce a Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) – is a microcosm of prevailing attitudes towards the car.
It is a clear indication that we need to address attitudes towards active travel and air quality and normalise the prioritisation of sustainable transport.
News of the government’s deal has sparked a backlash from politicians, lobby groups and certain elements of the business sector, undoubtedly stoked by a media seemingly keen to appeal to car owners rather than those reading their coverage on a bus or train.
The Workplace Parking Levy would essentially charge employers who provide parking spaces for their staff. Such a scheme has operated in Nottingham since 2012 and has raised over £50 million for sustainable transport projects.
The idea of a WPL in Scotland is not new. It has been the subject of debate in both Glasgow and Edinburgh councils and the introduction of WPL enabling legislation has been backed by COSLA.
In fact, so widespread is the support for a WPL it would most likely have been included within the current Transport (Scotland) Bill by amendment regardless of the Scottish Greens budget bargain.
It is a demonstrably successful model that was progressing towards inclusion in forthcoming legislation.
Why the uproar? Put simply, for too many people car remains king.
Paul White is deputy director of CPT Scotland
I am reminded of the annual indignation that accompanies the publication of the fines raised by bus lane infringements in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Press reports have branded the bus lanes ‘notorious’ and the fines ‘ruthless’. What other parking or driving restriction is treated in this manner? When a local authority introduces a bus priority measure, or a bike lane, or even a WPL, it is implementing a policy action fully in line with the transport hierarchy that lies at the heart of our national, regional and local transport strategies.
Sustainable and active transport – walking, cycling and bus - should be prioritised.
The Workplace Parking Levy is attracting such a negative response in part because it is an outlier, a scheme that dares to introduce an element of road-use charging. A rare ‘stick’ to encourage more sustainable travel choices.
If government is to meet its climate change goals then brave decisions are required. It is by challenging the dominance of the car that we can lead attitudinal change.
The Herald’s Climate for Change initiative supports efforts being made by the Scottish Government with key organisations and campaign partners. Throughout the year we will provide a forum in The Herald newspaper, online at herald.scotland.com and in Business HQ magazine, covering news and significant developments in this increasingly crucial area.
If you are interested in contributing editorially or interested in becoming a Climate for Change partner, please contact Stephen McTaggart on 0141 302 6137 or email stephen.mctaggart@heraldandtimes.co.uk
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