GOVERNMENT plans for road user charges and workplace parking spaces will not reduce car usage, according to surveys by Lease Plan. The surveys, following last week's Queen's Speech which revealed a Transport Bill containing the two measures to be published before Christmas, found that 72% of 140 Lease Plan staff at its Slough offices would continue to use their cars to travel to work.

However, only 58% of the staff who said they would continue to drive to work would pay to park their car at the office, with the remainder admitting they would drive to the office but would look to park free of charge. Of the 28% who said they would leave their cars at home, just 12% said they would opt for public transport as an alternative.

Meanwhile, Lease Plan's European survey of 1,700 company car drivers found only 17% of drivers would make fewer journeys if tolls were introduced. Lease Plan managing director Howard Thomas said: 'The majority of the working population would not give up their cars. The much-publicised integrated transport system is non-existent.'