Douglas Ross has today called on Nicola Sturgeon to drop plans to hit Scottish motorists with a ‘triple whammy of anti-driver taxes’.
The Scottish Conservative Leader challenged the First Minister over plans in the SNP’s Glasgow and Edinburgh local election manifestos to introduce a ‘commuter tax’ for Scotland’s two largest cities.
In response to news of the commuter tax, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) this morning, urged councils to avoid additional costs for business for at least the next two years.
Earlier this year, the SNP Government ignored widespread criticism to bring in their controversial workplace parking tax – which the SNP group in Edinburgh is already planning to introduce in the city.
While SNP leader in Glasgow, Susan Aitken, is considering reintroducing toll roads in Glasgow.
Ross accused the SNP of being ‘intent on making driving in our cities unaffordable,’ and urged Nicola Sturgeon to drop the proposals from the SNP’s national manifesto, which will be launched tomorrow.
Scottish Conservative Leader, Douglas Ross said: “The SNP are bringing in the workplace parking tax despite outcry from businesses and the public.
“Now the SNP have brought forward proposals to charge people just for driving into Scotland's cities.
“This is a commuter tax on people all over the country who travel to work in Scotland’s biggest cities, visit family and friends and access vital services.
"The SNP are intent on making driving in our cities unaffordable.
"A commuter tax would hit businesses, tradespeople, and working Scots hardest. These shameful SNP plans would hit families who are already struggling with the cost of living.
“We’re in the middle of a cost of living crisis, with prices at petrol stations rising globally. Yet Nicola Sturgeon wants to tax people off the roads by hammering anyone who owns a car.
“If the First Minister carries on down this road, Nicola Sturgeon and her SNP candidates are going to force the Scottish economy into the slow lane.
“The commuter tax should be abandoned, toll charges should be ruled out, and her workplace parking tax should be ditched – before Scots are hit by a triple whammy of anti-driver taxes.”
Notes:
Edinburgh SNP’s manifesto calls for the introduction of a commuter tax. The manifesto states: ‘We will introduce a commuter charging zone at the city boundary to discourage those living out with the city from driving in, encouraging them to switch to bus, tram, train, foot or cycle. No Edinburgh resident – including those living in South Queensferry and the western villages – will ever have to pay the charge. We will use the revenue raised to fund sustainable transport projects, such as new park and ride schemes, across the Lothians.’ (Edinburgh SNP, Manifesto 2022, 16 April 2022, link).
Glasgow SNP commit to looking at road tolls and a commuter tax. Their manifesto states they will ‘review options around road-user charging and at-city-boundary congestion charging models’. (Glasgow SNP, Manifesto 2022, 6 April 2022, Page 34, link).
Edinburgh SNP have committed to implementing the car park tax in their manifesto. Their manifesto states: ‘When legislation is passed, we will implement a Workplace Parking Levy to reduce the number of commutes made by private car, tackling emissions and congestion in the city.’ (Edinburgh SNP, Manifesto 2022, 16 April 2022, link).
Glasgow SNP also want to implement a car park tax. Their manifesto states they will ‘develop a business case for consideration on Workplace Parking Licensing’. (Glasgow SNP, Manifesto 2022, 6 April 2022, link).
In response to news of the commuter tax, the Federation of Small Businesses has asked that ‘councils steer clear of additional cost for business at least for two years’. Garry Clark, East of Scotland Development Manager for the Federation of Small Businesses, said: "Businesses have suffered a lot in the past couple of years and the last thing they want is additional costs. A lot of them have already got their eye on the Low Emission Zone and the potential Workplace Parking Levy and how these might affect them. In our local government manifesto we specifically asked that councils steer clear of additional cost for business at least for two years if not for the whole of the next term.” (Edinburgh Evening News, SNP's Edinburgh congestion charge plan: Businesses say extra costs are last thing they need, 21 April 2022, link).