MOVES to tax company car parking spaces in London would not be enough to drive motorists on to public transport, a major new survey has found. Drivers and companies in the capital would dig deep into their pockets for the privilege of parking at work, if they had to pay sample charges of £1,000 per space in central London, £750 in Inner London and £500 in Outer London.

Of 128 companies surveyed by business support group London First and the University of Westminster, more than half said taxing company car parking spaces would not affect congestion, indicating staff would still use their cars. The best way to tackle traffic would be to improve public transport to give staff a true alternative to the car, according to 95% of firms.

Nearly all companies said they would only find such a charge acceptable if all the revenue went directly into local public transport. The sample charges would bring in £300 million a year to public transport from the estimated 600,000 - one million company car parking spaces in the capital. The survey revealed more than 90% of firms felt improving public transport would be fairly or very effective at reducing congestion.