Parking-space tax will raise cost of driving to the office by £350 a year

Parking-space tax will raise cost of driving to the office by £350 a year
Monday September 24 2007, The Times
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article2517668.ece

Summary:
Nottingham city is the first city in England which is going to be applying a parking space tax on parking spaces for working people. This tax called the Workplace Parking Levy (WPL) is cheaper and easier to collect then the congestion charge as it is applied in London. Employers with more then 10 parking spaces will have to pay £350 a year. This measure is also thought to be more politically correct then aforementioned congestion charge, because people who come to the city centre to shop or drive through for other reasons besides going to work will not have to pay.

Opnion:
I have mixed feelings about this one. It can be considered a good development, but only if the city has qualitatively good and affordable public transport. I have never been to Nottingham city so I can’t judge their public transport network. If there’s no good alternative to driving, this measure is going to be very painful on those with a low income as we can be assured employers will make employees pay for their parking space if they get subjected to paying £350 a year per parking space.