Drivers caught in Aberdeen’s low emission zone have been hit with more than £3 million in fines since it came into operation, new figures reveal.
Data from Aberdeen City Council shows only £825,000 has been paid by motorists, up until March, since the scheme was launched last June.
A total of 26,739 fines have been issued to those who have been caught with a non-compliant vehicle.
Of these, 1,676 have been level 5 fines, the highest penalty charge given to non-compliant vehicles that have entered an LEZ on at least five occasions within a 90-day period.
Level 5 fines are capped £960 at for minibuses, buses, coaches, and HGVs, and £480 for cars and light goods vehicles.
It follows the announcement in December that CASC, an Aberdeen bar, was closing down, blaming the “utterly ridiculous” LEZs and bus gates for turning the city centre into a “no-go zone”. It has since been taken over under new ownership.
Scottish Conservative North East MSP Liam Kerr, who has campaigned for both the LEZs and bus gates in Aberdeen to be scrapped, said: “It’s little wonder the public are avoiding Aberdeen city centre in their droves after seeing these jaw-dropping statistics.
“Hard-pressed motorists are being used as a cash cow by the council to plug Aberdeen’s budget deficit caused in part by the chronic underfunding of the SNP Government.
“What is clear beyond any doubt is that businesses are being starved of the footfall needed to survive by Aberdeen City Council’s decision to implement LEZs and bus gates in the area.
“Aberdeen should be a welcoming and inclusive city but banning vehicles with LEZs and bus gates just diverts congestion to other routes that are already gridlocked.
“Rather than punishing drivers and cutting off businesses, these heinous measures must be dumped to give people the comfort they need to return to our city centre.”
The total number of fines issued, including a breakdown of fines by year and month since the scheme started.
| Month | PCN 1 (£60) | PCN 2 (£120) | PCN 3 (£240) | PCN 4 (£480) | PCN 5 (£960) |
| June 2024 | 3387 | 318 | 46 | 0 | 0 |
| July 2024 | 2853 | 523 | 205 | 99 | 75 |
| August 2024 | 3012 | 514 | 154 | 85 | 94 |
| September 2024 | 2648 | 480 | 219 | 112 | 249 |
| October 2024 | 1760 | 304 | 153 | 96 | 259 |
| November 2024 | 1989 | 324 | 128 | 79 | 304 |
| December 2024 | 1831 | 294 | 122 | 75 | 282 |
| January 2025 | 1281 | 195 | 82 | 37 | 206 |
| February 2025 | 1315 | 226 | 77 | 40 | 207 |
3 – The total revenue generated from fines since the scheme started, including a breakdown of revenue by year and month since the scheme started.
The following figures represent actual cash received since the scheme started in June 24 as posted to the financial ledger. This will not be the total fines raised just what has been paid.
Jun-24: £25,920.00
Jul-24: £84,900.35
Aug-24: £81,675.28
Sep-24: £107,542.67
Oct-24: £121,630.00
Nov-24: £81,500.00
Dec-24: £64,360.00
Jan-25: £120,667.18
Feb-25: £61,111.53
Mar-25: £75,642.11
Total: £824,949.12
