War on Motorists
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2022 10:34 am
The Glasgow Centre for Population Health has called for cuts to parking places in the city, along with higher parking prices (they’re already expensive), a 20mph limit throughout the city and for cars to be banned from large areas of the city. This is in addition to the Low Emission Zone, which is already being brought in.
Furthermore, Glasgow City Council are to bring in the SNP/Green “workplace parking tax.” This tax was delivered by the nationalists, in return for Greens supporting to their minority administration’s budget. What this means is that for every space within a private car park that an employer provides to an employee, that employer will then be charged (£500 annually in the first instance, I believe) by the Council for providing it. Most businesses are expected to pass this tax onto their employees. This will apply even to shift workers, who are literally unable to get to their work by any other means, and regardless of vehicle fuel type. Whilst public transport is good in some areas, in others it’s not and it’s takes a lot longer than using a car.
Whilst these changes relate specifically to Glasgow, other cities throughout the UK will no doubt be considering similar schemes.
Now, I do want to see cleaner air within cities. Glasgow city centre, for instance, is disgusting in places to walk through. The number of diesel buses and taxis makes the air truly vile in places. Personally I’d like to see diesels banned in the city centre and replaced with hydrogen fuel cell or electric vehicles.
However, the city has already witnessed the departure of several large retailers (who’ve either gone out of business or relocated to out-of-town retail parks). Plans are also afoot to demolish a large shopping mall (Buchanan Galleries) and “repopulate” the city centre by building flats instead (presumably with no parking spaces).
It looks to me like what will happen is this; the city centre will be repopulated but many of the shops there will die as it becomes increasingly difficult for people to access by car. The new city centre population will not make up for the loss of visitors and loss to online retailers.
As a consequence the people that live in the city centre will be forced to travel to the out-of-town retail parks if they wish to shop in person.
Personally I’m very concerned about the creeping intrusions on our personal freedoms (unless of course you’re a woke eco warrior) being brought about by the so-called culture wars.
For discussion…
Furthermore, Glasgow City Council are to bring in the SNP/Green “workplace parking tax.” This tax was delivered by the nationalists, in return for Greens supporting to their minority administration’s budget. What this means is that for every space within a private car park that an employer provides to an employee, that employer will then be charged (£500 annually in the first instance, I believe) by the Council for providing it. Most businesses are expected to pass this tax onto their employees. This will apply even to shift workers, who are literally unable to get to their work by any other means, and regardless of vehicle fuel type. Whilst public transport is good in some areas, in others it’s not and it’s takes a lot longer than using a car.
Whilst these changes relate specifically to Glasgow, other cities throughout the UK will no doubt be considering similar schemes.
Now, I do want to see cleaner air within cities. Glasgow city centre, for instance, is disgusting in places to walk through. The number of diesel buses and taxis makes the air truly vile in places. Personally I’d like to see diesels banned in the city centre and replaced with hydrogen fuel cell or electric vehicles.
However, the city has already witnessed the departure of several large retailers (who’ve either gone out of business or relocated to out-of-town retail parks). Plans are also afoot to demolish a large shopping mall (Buchanan Galleries) and “repopulate” the city centre by building flats instead (presumably with no parking spaces).
It looks to me like what will happen is this; the city centre will be repopulated but many of the shops there will die as it becomes increasingly difficult for people to access by car. The new city centre population will not make up for the loss of visitors and loss to online retailers.
As a consequence the people that live in the city centre will be forced to travel to the out-of-town retail parks if they wish to shop in person.
Personally I’m very concerned about the creeping intrusions on our personal freedoms (unless of course you’re a woke eco warrior) being brought about by the so-called culture wars.
For discussion…
