Article: City traffic increases despite levy

[ozbob]

From the Melbourne Age click here!

City traffic increases despite levy

City traffic increases despite levy
May 23, 2010

THE state government's parking levy has failed to reduce congestion, a car park operator has told a Treasury and Finance Department review into the charge.

Wilson Parking says VicRoads data shows city traffic has increased by about 500 vehicles in the morning peak since the levy was introduced in 2006. It says the global financial crisis should have led to a 5 per cent drop in the number of vehicles travelling through seven key intersections to the inner city, but instead numbers have risen marginally.

In 2006 the annual congestion levy was $400, plus GST, per space in the inner city for owners of private car spaces. In 2007 it was doubled.

Wilson Parking's chief executive officer for parking, Craig Smith, said the levy was a property tax. ''It's a tax on the owners of parking and buildings with a car park ... it does not tackle the issue of congestion at all''.

[Golliwog]

So it couldn't have anything to do with anything like population growth, or people having problems catching a train/tram/bus? And one could certainly argue that an increase of only 500 vehicles over 4 years is a good thing. And the data says 500 vehicles, so that could (and probably does) include buses.

[#Metro]

It is a property tax. Only 500 vehicles- is that a failure or a success?
The taxation discourages car parks to be built, and favours their conversion to other things.

A lot of good space, which could be put to far better use is used up in car parks.