COUNCILS proposing that Oxford adopts a workplace parking levy have yet to decide how it will impact their own staff.

Last week, Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council said they want to charge employers between £400 and £600 a year for each parking space their staff use to pay for a new bus service.

It would only impact places in the city's 'eastern arc' – but would involve about half of Oxford's 18,000 parking spaces.

Both authorities said they still need to decide whether they will ask staff to pay the charge or whether they will pay it on their behalf.

READ MORE: Oxford employers could be forced to pay £600 a parking space a year in traffic-cutting plan

Mish Tullar, city council spokesman, said: “Oxford City Council does not provide parking spaces for staff at its main offices – they use public transport, park & ride, cycling or walking to get to work.

"Our wholly-owned direct services company ODSL (Oxford Direct Services) would be subject to the levy for workplace parking spaces at its Cowley Marsh depot. Like any other employer it will consider how it will meet this charge for employees who park at the site when the details of the scheme are confirmed.”

A county council spokesman said: “The county council’s workplace parking spaces would be subject to the levy in the same way as any other employer. The council has about 15 spaces in the proposed zone. It is too early to say how that charge would be paid.”