Plans to charge Scottish companies for workplace parking have been dropped from the Transport Bill by the Scottish Executive, the cabinet of the devolved Scottish government. Retailers stood to be particularly affected by the proposals which would have meant some local authorities charging for employee parking spaces. Many retailers already pay for these spaces as part of their annual rates bill. The Scottish Retailing Consortium called the scheme "a direct tax on business", and said that it would have done little to reduce congestion ­ the main reason for the proposal. "It's good to see that the Executive has listened to the voice of retailers and climbed down," said director Patrick Browne. SRC is proposing a scheme to charge road users which would only apply in peak periods of congestion. The consortium is also lobbying for stronger community safety partnerships between local authorities, police and retailers and to get retail crime prevention programmes adopted in Scotland. These could include a primary action scheme working to educate children on the dangers and consequences of retail crime. {{NEWS }}