Scottish Conservative MSP Liam Kerr criticised Aberdeen City Council after figures revealed 1,956 penalty charges were issued to motorists between June 1 and June 11.
Drivers are given £60 charges if their vehicles entering LEZ areas do not comply with emissions standards but the fines are reduced by 50% if paid within 2 weeks, says LBC.
Edinburgh and Dundee were the other two Scottish cities to introduce the scheme, which has been implemented to cut pollution, this summer, after Glasgow City Council introduced the first LEZ in Scotland in June 2023.
Mr Kerr, a Conservative MSP for the North East Scotland region, said the “astronomical number of fines” handed out in Aberdeen was “further indictment of the SNP-Lib Dem council demonising people from coming into our city centre”.
He said motorists believe schemes have been created to “generate quick income for the cash-strapped council”.
Mr Kerr added: “Several businesses have already closed since the LEZ zones went live, while others are on the brink of having their livelihoods decimated by this draconian scheme, including our taxi trade.
“We know that even some of the council’s own vehicles are still not compliant, yet motorists have been hit with almost 2,000 fines in just 11 days of the scheme going live.”
However, Ian Yuill and Christian Allard, the Liberal Democrat and SNP co-leaders of Aberdeen City Council, insisted: “Mr Kerr is wrong. It was his Conservative colleagues and their Labour partners who signed off the boundaries of the LEZ when they controlled the council.”
