A WORK place car parking levy could help save lives in Scotland, according to Scottish Greens MSP.
John Finnie pointed to figures which showed around 2500 people die north of the Border every year as a result of air pollution.
READ MORE: Gavin Thomson: Parking tax could stop Scotland’s public health crisis
“Poor air quality kills around 40,000 people in the UK – including 2500 people in Scotland – every year,” he told The National.
“Not only will the levy help save lives but improve the quality of lives of the rest of us. Poor air quality disproportionately affects the young, older people and those with respiratory conditions.”
He added: “It will ultimately be up to councils to introduce a work place car parking levy or not. At the moment councils in England can do this and councils in Scotland cannot. It is a potential opportunity for councils to raise additional revenue.”
Finnie is due to lodge an amendment to the Transport Bill which would allow councils to introduce a work place car parking levy.
His comments were supported by the environment group Friends of the Earth Scotland.
Gavin Thomson, the organisation’s air pollution campaigner, said: “We need to change the way we get around. Air pollution from transport is prematurely killing 2500 people in Scotland each year. This public health crisis is due to the air pollution that chokes our towns and cities, with the vast majority of this toxic air coming from traffic, with pollution levels often peaking with rush hour traffic. Plus the added health benefits from getting more people walking and cycling to work are clear to all.”
He added: “Councils that choose to use the Workplace Parking Levy powers will be able to invest in public transport in their area, to improve and encourage cleaner forms of transport, and shift the balance away from car use. This will improve air quality, reduce climate emissions, increase physical activity and help save lives. Nor should we forget in cities like Glasgow about half the population don’t have access to a car, with that figure rising for people on lower incomes.”
Yesterday, the Scottish Government said exemptions to the levy could “quite possibly” be extended beyond the NHS to other parts of the public sector.
A spokesman for Nicola Sturgeon said the issue of whether other groups, such as teachers, should be excused from paying the new charge could be considered when the matter goes before the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee.
He raised the possibility as the Conservatives demanded a “full consultation” be carried out on workplace parking charges and accused ministers of trying to “sneak” plans for a levy through the Scottish Parliament.
The Scottish Government has already committed in principle to support changes to legislation already going through Holyrood that will give councils the power to introduce a charge on workplace car parking.
That was part of a deal struck between the Scottish Greens and Finance Secretary Derek Mackay so the budget could pass at Holyrood.
SNP ministers insisted as part of the deal that any future levy will not be applied to hospitals and other NHS buildings.
Opposition MSPs have demanded to know why other public-sector workers, such as teachers, could end up having to pay the charge.
Sturgeon’s spokesman said the exemption “could quite possibly” be extended. He said this could happen because the details of the proposals for a workplace car parking levy have not yet been agreed.
The Tories said the Government had previously pledged to hold a consultation before any such charge was introduce.
In 2017, then-transport minister Humza Yousaf said there would be “conversations” ahead of a levy being implemented.
In November 2018, the current Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said the Government had “not consulted on the idea”.
Conservative finance spokesman Murdo Fraser is opposed to the levy and said ministers could “sneak” the proposals through. He said: “In 2017, they said they’d to listen to people’s views before considering whether to introduce this plan. Michael Matheson is on record just weeks ago admitting they haven’t done so. They want to sneak it through, all in order to buy off their friends in the Greens.”
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