Overcoming barriers to the implementation of car parking charges at UK workplaces

Charging employees to park at their places of work is a transport policy measure advocated by the UK government as a means of reducing car commuting and hence achieving the twin objectives of reducing congestion and combating environmental degradation, especially in urban areas. The empirical effects of employee parking charges have been analysed (see for example [Willson, R.W., Shoup, D.C., 1990. Parking subsidies and travel choices: assessing the evidence. Transportation 17, 141-157; Department for Transport (DfT), 2002. Making travel plans work: report on case studies. London: DfT (Also available at www.local-transport.dft.gov.uk/travelplans/guides/index.htm)]). There is, however, a dearth of literature examining the practicalities of employee car parking charge implementation in those few organisations that haves done so. Based on empirical studies of 11 UK workplaces, this paper examines the reasons for and the practicalities of implementation and concludes by considering the barriers to the wider adoption of this policy.