Motorists in Aberdeen have paid out more than £8million in parking fines over the last five years.
The Press and Journal can today reveal that since 2011, Aberdeen City Council has pulled in more than £1.5million a year in charges.
The figures are by far the highest across the north and north-east, with Highland Council taking in £100,771 and Moray Council just £64,000.
Aberdeenshire Council could not provide their fines for the last financial year, but between 2011 and 2015, it took in about £160,000.
Last night, Aberdeen City Council chiefs insisted the fines were not “over the top” in comparison to other cities, and stressed the cash was put back into managing parking – such as repairing and replacing meters, employing parking wardens and upgrading road markings.
Neil Cooney, convener of infrastructure and housing services, said: “I would be delighted if we had no parking fines at all.
“I wish it was zilch, but if people park illegally they will be fined.”
According to the figures, obtained using freedom of information legislation, the local authority received £1,688,723 in fines in 2014/15, falling to £1,517,033 the following year.
Meanwhile Highland Council – which only has two parking wardens to cover Inverness and the surrounding areas – took in £100,771 in the last five years.
However, there was a substantial jump income in 2015/16, due to “increased enforcement”, which resulted in £58,574 being recorded.
A council spokesman said: “The rise in 2015/16 was due to charging on Saturdays and Sundays in Inverness as of April 1, 2015 and also further increased enforcement activity.”
Moray Council was lower still, and received about £64,000 from parking fines, including £11,915 in 2015/16.
Aberdeenshire Council was unable to provide their most recent figures, however from 2011/2012 to 2014/15 it received about £160,000 in parking fines, with figures increasing each year to £45,556 in 2014/15.
Shetland Islands Council and Western Isles Council were unable to provide figures as they said fines were collected by Police Scotland.
Mr Cooney made no apologies for Aberdeen’s high figure.
He said changing peoples’ attitudes, and encouraging more use of public transport, was key to reducing the number of tickets issued.
“I don’t think we are over the top in comparison to other cities,” he said.
“There are not enough parking spots and people want to get as close to the city centre as they can.”
Finance convener Willie Young also said the council would prefer there not to be fines.
“People will see £8million as an awful lot of money and of course that is an awful lot of money,” he said, stressing that all fines were put into the roads budget.
“The reason we are catching up on our potholes is because we have been able invest using that money, to make sure that we are able to fill up the potholes and make sure the road markings are right.
“We are still a long way behind but we are much better than we were a few years ago.”
But Rosemount councillor Bill Cormie believed parking fines should not be relied on to repair roads.
“It seems to me it is a very high figure of fines that they are charging people,” he said.
“We are short of wardens as it is and they have a lot of other duties to do as well, apart from fining parking.
“You can’t rely on parking fines to repair roads because they need to all be budgeted for.
“The problem we have in the city is we have a lack of parking and car parks.”
