The UK’s first workplace parking levy has created chaos, critics have claimed, with many commuters’ cars now being left parked on residential streets.
The levy, introduced by Nottingham City Council, is aimed at reducing congestion. Employers are now charged £334 for each space they provide in their workplace car park, but many have simply passed this cost on to staff.
And it seems that rather than pay the hefty charge, a large number of workers have opted to park on nearby residential streets for free, much to the fury of the locals. Several voiced their concerns to the local paper.
Dawn Gathercole, 33, told of how the levy had affected her: "It's becoming an absolute nightmare." She awoke one day to find that a van was blocking the end of her driveway.
Angela Cairns, 52, said: "Since the levy was introduced it's been chaos. People who live on those roads have had tremendous problems.
"One person couldn't even get off his driveway to get to work one day.''
The problems have forced Nottingham City Council to draw up plans to introduce on-street parking charges to residential roads, with locals given a free permit.
Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, recognised that the flagship levy was not working. He said: ''Rather than helping tackle congestion, it is clear that the Labour Council's new workplace parking tax is doing more harm than good, by clogging up the roads and causing parking problems to spread.''
The levy was seen as a pilot in the battle against urban gridlock for other major cities to follow suit. Following the criticism however Bristol, which had been expected to implement a similar charge, has ditched the proposals after a public consultation.
The scheme was defended by Councillor Jane Urquhart, Nottingham's Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, who said: “The first year of the Levy has been a success, with all businesses liable to pay doing so, contributing to this vital funding stream. Without it we wouldn’t be having two more tram lines, or indeed the railway station redevelopment, both of which are now under construction and will have a major impact on congestion.''
An AA spokesman explained that the problems the levy has caused in Nottingham were inevitable however. “Family budgets are stretched already with fuel costs and often below inflation pay rises or no pay rises at all.
“If their employer cannot support them by funding this parking tax at work there is no way individuals can absorb an extra cost on this scale.
“It was obvious from day one that there would be parking displacement from unfair workplace parking taxes.”
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