Aberdeen City Council is being pressed to do away with all parking charges during three weeks of tighter restrictions after Christmas.
SNP councillor Alex McLellan is urging the move as a way of making the jobs of key workers easier in the face of the resurgent coronavirus.
All of mainland Scotland will be placed in the fourth and highest tier of Covid restrictions after the hesitant government relaxation of rules allows indoor gatherings on Christmas Day.
The Tillydrone, Seaton and Old Aberdeen member has approached council chief executive Angela Scott with the suggestion, claiming it would help essential services in “incredibly difficult times”.
He said: “The Level 4 restrictions should bring a massive drop in people out in their cars, so I would expect the cost implications of this to be minimal, in terms of what we would take in by keeping charges in place.
“This would allow key workers and essential service staff to get to work in the easiest possible way without having to worry about the cost of parking.”
Conservative council co-leader, Douglas Lumsden, told The P&J he was not against the idea, if that impact could be proven.
He added: “The administration has already spoken to the chief executive about the need to remind those in charge of enforcement of parking to be ultra-lenient when patrolling the city centre as we go into further lockdown.
“I do however find it strange that Councillor McLellan feels the need to write to the chief executive who ultimately has no powers to remove parking charges in the city.”
