Parking tax plan is already full of glaring potholes

AS I understand it, the purpose of the ill thought-out — or should that be not at all thought out — parking charge at workplaces is to reduce car usage and so reduce pollution and congestion.

As far as local authority premises are concerned, I have two questions. Firstly, will local authority premises be subjected to the charge and, if not, why not?

Secondly, if it does apply to such premises, will the local authority pass the charge on to employees? If it doesn’t, the taxpayer will be left to subsidise it and the purpose of the tax will be defeated.

There is speculation as to who might be exempt. Why should anyone be exempt? The job someone does doesn’t affect the amount of pollution their car generates or how much it contributes to congestion.

There is no reason that public sector workers should be treated any differently from private sector workers from top to bottom — including MSPs, senior local authority executives and managers, company directors et al.

If everyone has to bite this nonsensical bullet in addition to other Scottish-only tax increases foist upon us, perhaps we might see a shift in voting patterns in the next election. DONALD LEWIS, Gifford, East Lothian.

CITY of Edinburgh Council leader Adam McVey said that workers should be forced to pay the proposed tax on workplace parking spaces. (Mail)

If employers pass on the charge to their staff, they have to add VAT — so £500 becomes £600, and to net £600 the person needs to earn another £750. Meanwhile, Mr McVey earns £50,682 plus perks.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said that the proposal will only allow councils the power to introduce the tax, but there is no need to do so.

A typical SNP cop-out — especially since they have starved the councils of cash for years. CLARK CROSS, Linlithgow,

West Lothian. THE picture in Saturday’s Mail says it all — Nicola Sturgeon stepping out of a chauffeur-driven limo. Not an eco-friendly, town centre runaround, mind you.

This is SNP hypocrisy on glorious display. I wonder if she’s thinking ‘you lot can pay all the motoring taxes but I’m not going to’.

I don’t want to tempt fate but if the SNP, and their glove puppets the Greens, survive the next Holyrood elections I’ll be amazed. IAN BALLOCH, Grangemouth,

Stirlingshire.

MAYBE a charge of £400 is not unreasonable where public transport is available.

But there have to be exemptions for cases where cars are essential. Common sense should prevail.

Will all side streets become controlled zones to avoid them being used by those not willing to pay the tax thereby penalising residents? Are MSP’s chauffeurdriven cars taxed as a benefit in kind?

Are the SNP and the Greens trying to see just how much more unpopular they can become?

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