The lack of specific figures precludes an analysis of the costs to a small business. It should be noted that, in respect of the workplace parking levy, the consultation document asks whether there should be a threshold which would exempt the first few parking spaces at each building. This in turn would exempt many small enterprises. The costs of introducing and operating road user charging schemes are likely to vary enormously, depending on the type of scheme adopted. There will of course be administrative costs for local authorities in developing and making an application to the Scottish Ministers for approval.
Costs are likely to be considerably lower for other, smaller urban areas.
Research undertaken in Portsmouth, for example, suggested that implementing a paper-based scheme could cost 2 million, with annual administration and enforcement costs of 4 million 4 . There is no data available for the likely administrative costs of the workplace parking levy. These proposals are included in the UK Government's White Papers, A New Deal for Transport and Travel Choices for Scotland . Both documents took into account the results of an extensive consultation exercise carried out between 21 August and 14 November 1997. The earlier sections of the document set out proposals on how road user charging and workplace parking levy schemes in Scotland might be implemented and operated.