THE €200 car-parking levy now looks likely to be be introduced on a pilot basis in October or November, instead of this summer, as originally planned.
The levy, announced in the October 2008 budget, was designed to combat congestion and is a yearly charge for workers who are provided with car-parking facilities by their employers.
A spokesman for the Department of Finance said there were still some technical issues to be resolved on matters such as exemptions within the catchment area and pricing.
The pilot scheme will be confined to workers who benefit from free parking spaces in Dublin city centre within the North and South Circular Roads. However, there may be some exemptions if there are no regular public transport links. These exemptions still have to be finalised, he said.
The spokesman said there were also technical issues over pricing. While the levy has been set at €200, he said a reduced rate may apply to certain categories of employee, for example, nightshift workers.
After it has been established on a pilot basis, it will be introduced in the rest of the Dublin city council area and in urban centres of Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. It is expected that it will be at least a year after the pilot scheme before the levy becomes fully operational.
It is not yet known to how many motorists will be affected. The vast majority of workers are expected to be public servants, working for the city council, Government departments, the Oireachtas and State bodies and agencies.
It is estimated the nationwide implementation of the levy would raise €10 million in a full year. The pilot scheme is expected to raise up to €5 million.
