THE ability for councils to impose a workplace parking levy was passed as part of the Scottish Government Budget on a day when the Scottish Tories protested against what they call the “SNP parking tax”.

To the serious point: the right for councils to impose a levy was agreed with the Scottish Greens before the Budget meeting at Holyrood – the Greens have been pushing for the scheme, pointing to its success in Nottingham which has the only council in England to use the power.

Tory MSP Murdo Fraser spoke in Parliament of the “ludicrous plans for a car park tax” and claimed it would cost workers £500 each year, though in Nottingham most employers pay the tax.

It will now be introduced for Scottish councils as part of the Transport Bill which is currently before the Holyrood Parliament.

Prior to the meeting, however, the Tories were out and about in Edinburgh and the Lothians with an advertising sign on a van. The sign said: “The SNP want you to pay £500 for parking here.”

The tour angered Friends of the Earth Scotland who strongly support the levy.

They said the van would be “pro-pollution” and be driven “across Scotland protesting against the proposed workplace parking levy, a measure which could save lives, reduce congestion and make our urban areas pleasant places to be”.

Friends of the Earth pointed out that the tour began at a care home on Ferry Road in Edinburgh.

They said: “This home is located in a designated Air Quality Management Area where Edinburgh Council has to take action to cut excessive levels of dangerous air pollution. It is also approximately one mile away from one of Scotland’s most polluted streets in Salamander Street.”

Probably more interesting for National readers is that the Letham Park Nursing Home is owned by senior Unionist Robert Kilgour.

The van then sped off to Livingston and Brucefield Industrial Estate where it parked on the road beside the site guide – a place where anyone can park as it’s a road cared for by the local authority.

The tour then took in West Gorgie Parks industrial estate, owned by Edinburgh Council, which looks like supporting the levy.

The council knew nothing about the photocall on its land, and the Scottish Conservatives were not able to say whether they had asked for permission or not.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Air Pollution Campaigner, Gavin Thomson, said: “Staging a protest in favour of ever more cars on our roads in one of Edinburgh most polluted areas demonstrates a shocking lack of understanding of the air pollution health crisis.

“Air pollution is particularly dangerous to the health of older people and those with existing health conditions. The unnecessary use of a large vehicle outside a care home wilfully ignores the health impacts of air pollution from transport on vulnerable groups, such as children and the elderly.

“The Workplace Parking Levy should be welcomed by anyone who wants to make sure our air in towns and cities is safe to breathe. Scotland has a public health crisis due to the air pollution that chokes our towns and cities.

They continued: “The costs to the NHS, and to everyone’s health, of inaction on air pollution are enormous. The vast majority of this toxic air comes from traffic, with pollution generally peaking with rush hour traffic.

“The Workplace Parking Levy recognises the cost of air pollution on wider society, putting the funding into sustainable transport options such as walking, cycling and public transport, which would clean up our cities and improve our health.”

“The workplace parking levy helps achieve a number of goals shared across the political spectrum in Scotland. It can cut harmful pollution, climate emissions as well as raising money to invest in our public transport system.”