EXCLUSIVE Failure of SNP's green plan as motorists fork out £19m in city centre LEZ zone fines
Growing numbers of motorists are being fined for driving into Scotland's city-centres - according to new figures which call into question the value of the country's controversial low emission zones.
LEZs have now been operating for two full years in Glasgow and for one full year in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.
Analysis by the Scottish Mail on Sunday of new published data reveals the massive impact on drivers - with more than 169,000 fines issued so far, worth in excess of £19million.
The stated aim of the LEZs is to improve air quality in city centres by banning older vehicles which, despite being otherwise legal and road-worthy, are deemed to create too much pollution.
When the schemes were introduced, it was anticipated the number of fines would gradually dwindle away as drivers either switched to public transport or upgraded to more modern, eco-friendly, cars.
As expected, each LEZ saw a rapid drop in breaches within the first few months of operation. However, over the past five months, the trend has reversed and the number of fines issued has actually risen steadily.
In January, across the four cities, 7,058 fines were issued. But by May the number had risen to 8,956.
The figures suggest the LEZs may not be as effective at reducing air pollution as council bosses had hoped.
Meanwhile critics argue there are thousands of drivers who need to travel into city centres for work - but who simply cannot afford to upgrade to newer vehicles.
Opposition politicians have warned that if LEZs failed to improve air quality, they would simply become another tax on hard-pressed motorists.
Scottish Conservative transport spokesperson Sue Webber MSP said: 'These figures prove what motorists already know – they're being milked for cash because the SNP have gutted council funding.
'You'd think low emission zones were about cleaner air – but in reality, they're trapping drivers who have no other option.
'Most Scots can't just shell out for a new car to meet these rules. The nationalists are completely out of touch.
'If SNP ministers are serious about getting Scots out of their cars, they should show some common sense for a change and deliver reliable and affordable public transport, instead of punishing motorists.'
Analysis by the MoS shows that a total of 169,329 LEZ fines have so far been issued across the four cities - worth an astonishing £19.1m.
The severity of penalties depends on how often a driver infringes the LEZ - from £60 for a single breach to a maximum of £960 if someone drives a non-compliant vehicle into the zone five or more times in a three-month period.
Incredibly, 6,787 of these maximum £960 fines have so far been dished out across the country.
Scotland's first LEZ was set up in Glasgow in June 2023. Policed by a network of number-plate recognition cameras, it covers a square mile of the city centre between the River Clyde and the M8 motorway. As the country's long-running LEZ, it has unsurprisingly issued the highest overall number of fines: 72,110 tickets - an average of 3,005 every month - worth a total of £7.1m.
Last September Glasgow City Council said the LEZ had made a 'promising start' at improving air quality. Pollution data covering the first six months of the LEZ suggested nitrogen dioxide levels in parts of the city centre had dropped by 20 per cent - but remained high in the busiest streets.
The council also revealed that, after operating costs, the scheme raised a surplus of around £750,000 in the financial year 2023/24 - which would be spent on planting trees and turning bus-stop roofs into havens for bees.
Edinburgh has so far issued the highest average number of LEZ tickets - 3,988 each month. The capital's zone extends from Holyrood Park to Haymarket - and came into force in June 2024.
After a sharp drop last year in the first few months of the LEZ, the number of fines in the capital has risen steadily from 2,664 in January to 3,401 in May.
Last night Edinburgh City Council blamed the recent rise on tourists driving into the city - but said the scheme overall was delivering benefits.
Transport and environment convener Stephen Jenkinson, said: 'Last year we joined Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen to implement and enforce an LEZ across the city centre, reaffirming our intentions to create a healthier, cleaner city for everyone.
'Since then, I've been really encouraged to see the number of fines for non-compliant vehicles steadily decline, showing that people are getting used to the LEZ and making changes.
'Recent fluctuations may be down to an increased number of visitors over the months that attract more tourists and we'll continue to monitor this.'
Meanwhile drivers in Aberdeen have been hit with the highest average value of fines - equating to £417,930 per month.
The city's LEZ, which also came into force in June 2024, is clustered around Union Street and the surrounding roads, covering an area of just half a mile squared.
Dundee's LEZ is bordered by the A92 and the A991 inner ring-road and began at the very end of May 2023. It has so far issued the lowest average number of fines - just 1,292 per month.
Government agency Transport Scotland has said that despite the rises in recent months, the number of LEZ breaches was still significantly lower than last June when the scheme was first introduced in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: 'In Edinburgh and Aberdeen, the number of PCNs issued in May 2025 was approximately half the number issued in June 2024.
In Dundee, the figure was down by around two-thirds over the same period, while in Glasgow, there was a reduction of about one-third.
'LEZs are already working to improve air quality. In Glasgow, where the LEZ has been enforced since 2023, air quality benefits are already being accrued with average nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in the LEZ down approximately 20% compared to 2022.'
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